


Layers

by TellThemNaegi



Series: Layers [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous Relationships, Despair, Gen, Mystery, Stuff going on in the background, Timeline Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-11-19 11:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11312016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TellThemNaegi/pseuds/TellThemNaegi
Summary: Makoto Naegi - Average personality,  average skills, average school record... There is absolutely nothing special about him.  An average person among average people.That may have been the case had it not been for one tiny pebble on the road. Being as unlucky as he was, he tripped over it.





	1. Attraction

*Yawn*

“Long night, kiddo?” Leon Kuwata said, sitting to the right of him in class

“Yeah…something like that.” Makoto Naegi's head fell lazily on his desk.

“You didn’t have to come to class then, this shit’s not mandatory. Hell, I don’t even remember why I show up to this thing.” He stretched his legs over his deck and lay back in his seat.

“If I didn’t then Taka would drag me out of my room and make me, I think I’m skipping the obnoxious middle-man here. Pretty sure that also goes for everyone, Leon.” He yawned again.

“Riiight. I’d almost forgotten. But I’m not covering for you if you get caught.”

“Gee thanks, I’ll just get some zzz before class starts.” Makoto closed his eyes

A loud voice boomed, signaling Taka’s arrival. “Good Morning, classmates. I hope we-” He tried to drown out the rest  
.  
“What were you saying about catching some sleep before class?”

Makoto groaned

“What did you even do all-night? There weren’t any parties going on.” At some point, he’d brought a highly decorated bat into his hand and held it into the air.

“Watching movies.”

“You know you can’t handle scary movies. You’re a total chicken.”

“Am not.” The ahoge whined.

“Yes. You. Are.” Leon drew out each syllable. “Remember the time we went to see The Redeadening 2: The revengeance? You nearly crapped yourself and held onto Hina for dear life."

Leon laughed…and then stopped. “Then again, if that was an act, good call. Wouldn’t have minded being your shoes for that.”

“Ghosts  _are_  scary…some at least.” He mumbled

“They’re also not  _real_. The way you’re going, it won’t be long till you start believing that rumor going across campus about the music room.”

Makoto sighed. He wouldn’t believe me if I told him. “So what's the deal with the bat? Looks...shinier than your others."

"This baby? One of my first championship with it. Tis my pride and joy, bro! I'd give up a million before selling this.”

"Coooool." He stared at it, awe-struck "Could I borrow it then?"

"Sure, why not."

“Class is starting, keep it quiet back there.” The teacher addressed them

“Yes, sir.” Both boys droned.

  
\---

  
He’d fallen asleep eventually, got caught and kicked out of class. In addition, he’d now be spending detention with Ishimaru for who knows how long.

He scratched his hair

I’ll die of boredom. Why am I so unlucky?

Suddenly, he felt something bump into him. There wasn’t enough force to knock him down, but it was enough to know the person in front of him was needlessly aggressive.

There were two students. A baby-face with a menacing grimace and the even more intimidating tall girl with braided hair, cold scarlet eyes…and, is that a sword she was carrying? He was thankful it was the male who had crashed into him.

He looks familiar. Have I seen him before somewhere?

“Watch the fuck where you’re going.” The boy said.

“You bumped into me!” Makoto bit back

“You trying to pick a fight with me, kid?” He smirked. This rude guy…did he just want somebody to pick on?

“Why are you making fun of my height? You’re even shorter than I am.” Makoto exclaimed, much to the other boy's displeasure.

“Now you’ve done it. Time, I show you what it means to pick a fight with a Yakuza.”

Did he just say he was a Yakuza? Uh oh.

He raised a pocket knife out of his trousers and motioned to thrust it at Naegi - the latter of which fearfully stepped back.

“You are one of Enoshima’s classmates, are you not?” The girl’s voice cut through the atmosphere.

Her partner froze as she uttered those words and then, not a moment later placed the knife back in his pocket.

“…Shit. We’re leaving Peko. The fuck were you wasting time here for when he finally have some leads on that murdering bitch?”

"Forgive my impudence, young master.” She apologized and not paying him any attention for even a moment longer, they left.

Makoto didn’t understand since, from his perspective, she hadn’t done anything wrong. And where they talking about my class' Enoshima? Maybe those were the upperclassmen the model was always hanging out with...

...Back up a second, did he say murder? Yeah, he definitely didn’t want to get involved with that guy. 

 Too bad his Luck never cared about what he wanted.

  
\---

  
“Hey Kiriko, did you hear? Sosuke says he got attacked by the music room’s ghost.”

"That goofball…So what did it do? Steal his shoes?”

“If only, he probably just got scared by the wind. That’s our fearless student council for you.”

Makoto dodged the insensitive gossiping and made his way over to that very room. He had time, so he might as well pay a visit to the residents. He slid open the door and locked his eyes on a tiny monument adorned with newly placed flowers.

The name Kuzuryuu was written and...It had been tipped over….again

He sighed, feeling slight disgust for the disrespect present and restored the memorial to its proper state. He guessed she probably wasn't well-liked but that was no excuse for their behavior.

“Eeek! Gross, you’re here again?” A voice called out. Behind him, stood a blond girl at medium height staring down at him.

“Looks that way.” He nodded, timidly. “Good afternoon, Natsumi-san…and sorry you’re still here.

It was worth noting that Makoto had closed the door behind him on the way in. There were also no windows open and, certainly, nobody had been present inside the room at the time he arrived. So how had this girl gotten in here?

There was a perfectly simple, yet utterly irrational explanation.

Before that though and, while I know it’s a bit late for an introduction, my name is Makoto Naegi. I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student of Hope’s Peak Academy…however, that’s just what’s written on-paper. Rather, it’s better to say that my whole talent is a curse. Shoes getting spontaneously untied, ‘forgetting’ important details, falling down steps, spilling drinks…all of that is part of the package. But moreso than all the rest, my luck manifested in one really messed up trait; the ability to see spirits, just like the girl standing in front of me.

That’s right, this girl is the real deal! An apparition whose reflection couldn’t be seen anywhere. If she made a sound, nobody would hear it. If they walked through her, all they’d feel is a slight chill.

“Oi, are you ignoring me, Makoto?”

Natsumi is the remnants of a dead student in the reserve department. Well dead might be putting it mildly. The truth is…the news said she was murdered by a pervert, who was still at large. I didn’t even think the police were looking into the case anymore given how little fanfare it received after the initial week. Personally, I think that's just a lie, killers don't get away that easily unless they have connections or someone who wanted to hide the killer's identity. Either way,  Natsumi-san still had misgivings with the living and couldn’t fully pass on.

It was a really pitiful affair.

“No. Just wondering why you’re still hanging around here…since it’s been nearly a year after your death. Ghosts who stick around this long usually have something bad happen to them…or others, in my experience.”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m some pest! I’m Natsumi K-U-Z-U-R-Y-U-U and just a little whole ago, I could’ve had you 30 ft under for shit-talking me that way.”

“Don’t you think making threats was what got you in this mess in the first place? Violence never solves anything.”

“Spare me the pacifist speech, tree-hugger; I’d hate to see how you’d try surviving out there being so passive all the time.”

“There are better ways for getting what you want than threatening people…"

“To each his own. So what’s with you today? You look grumpy.”

“Some weird movie I saw kept me up all night. Got detention and to top it off (which I didn't know they could give at this school), aaaand some jerk tried to stab me. The last part was sort of the gamebreaker.”

“Sounds fun. What d’ya do to piss a guy off that badly?”

“Nothing, he was just picking a fight…come to think of it, he said he was a gangster and he looked a little like you. Do you know him?”

“No fucking way!” She threw her head back in laughter for a bit before quieting down. “That is my ticket out of here – my big bro, Fuyuhiko. Don’t think anyone else here has the guts to parade around this school with that title while the heir to the Kuzuryuu’s still breathing. But seriously, what’d you say to piss him off? He doesn’t get trigger happy unless he’s provoked.”

“Your brother…he called me short, I said he was shorter than me.” Ticket out of here?

“…That’s all?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuyu’s always had that complex but he’s heard it enough not to go apeshit over it. At worst, he’d talk you down and that’d be it. I guess he must’ve changed since I last saw him.”

“Oh, what was he like before?”

“Only the coolest older brother ever. “She smiled. It was one of the rare genuine facial expressions he’d seen from her.

Natsumi Kuzuryuu was a crass, foul-mouthed, and arrogant individual but all of that looked like a mask to him. There were always those moments (like now) when she acted just as ordinary and empathetic as anyone else. Rough around the edges but was a decent person underneath all that.

It was a cliché saying, but true in this case. Although he wasn’t sure he could agree with that sentiment.

“Some higher-ups in the family always said he was soft and unreliable to be the next head, they even wanted me to replace him. Like fuck was I letting that happen.”

Soft? I thought back to their encounter...nah, I couldn't buy that. There had to be some (a lot) of bias in there.

“Yeah, he was always a big talker but never really did much ya know…at least that’s what those shallow fucktards thought. Fuyu always backed shit up when it counted.”

That said, get that kind of reaction of Natsumi, he must be an amazing person in his own right. Maybe they just got off on the wrong foot or he had a bad day or something. It’s not too surprising seeing as Mondo nearly clocked my lights out on the first week we met, and he turned out to be a pretty nice guy once you got to know him. Not that they were exactly friends. Almost nobody in his class were.

What did she mean by Fuyuhiko being her ticket out though?

Before he could ask, a knock on the door startled him.

He turned to meet the ultimate detective staring back at him, blankly.

“K-Kirigiri-san…h-how long have you been standing there?”

“…I just got here now. Classes are over and Ishimaru asked me to bring you to detention.”

Makoto’s face fell at the proclamation while the invisible girl laughed at his suffering.

“Is anyone else in here?” Kirigiri asked again

“No, just me paying my respects.”

“I see, let’s go then.

\---

  
“Fujisaki, what are you doing here?” Naegi couldn’t even begin to imagine what someone as harmless as the ultimate programmer could have to wind up serving detention.

The petite girl sat at the far side of the classroom, focused on her computer.

She sighed and looked up from her laptop “Ah Naegi-kun...Ishimaru hasn’t told me yet. He said he’d explain when all four of us were here.”

“4 of us?” Makoto looked around the classroom and spotted one Mukuro Ikusaba standing in the far corner.

The ultimate soldier was one of the few people Naegi went out of his way to avoid.

He could never tell what the girl was thinking, and her talent just screamed danger. But still, this only made 3 people unless…

“She means me. You don’t think I went out of my way to look for you out of generosity I hope? It’s so I can get…whatever this is, over with.” Guess even Kirigiri-san didn't know either.

“Ah, everyone has arrived at last!” Ishimaru arrived.

“Uh, Ishimaru? I kind of get why I’m here but what about the others?” He scratched his cheek.

“Yes, your misconduct today has…um, opened my eyes!” The ultimate moral compass said, the increase in octave earning suspicion from his classmates.

“…opened your eyes to what?”

“Er…to your unacceptable behaviors of course!”

Is it just me or did his words right now not make sense? Our misconduct opened his eyes to…our misconduct?

Makoto looked to his fellow "delinquents" and saw each of them holding similar outlooks of skepticism.

“What is this about? I don’t believe I have done anything to warrant confinement.” Kirigiri stood her ground. Confinement...was a bit extreme, that's a whole lot worse than detention.

“Oh but you have! You’re one of the most notorious deviants of skipping class along with Enoshima and from what I heard, you’ve spent that time nosing into other people’s business. Don’t you know that invasion of privacy is a crime?”

“Heard from whom?” Kirigiri zero’d in, mercilessly.

Ishimaru on the other hand, froze up.

No matter how you look at it, he was definitely suspicious.

“G-Guys let’s not fight. And besides, Ishimaru…classes aren’t mandatory.” Fujisaki interrupted their stare-off…well, more like a tiger looking to feed on a mouse.

Ishimaru recovered with a fake cough “That may be the case for other classrooms, but we will not be among them. School is a place for learning, not escaping our responsibilities for frivolous pursuits!”

“Noted. In that case, I assume Enoshima will be joining us then?” Kirigiri said

“No. I wasn’t able to find her. Have any of you seen her?”

“Not today.” Naegi stuttered, ignoring a calculating glance Kirigiri sent his way.

“And what of you, Ikusaba? Enoshima is your sister so you must have an idea.” He addressed the soldier.

“Junko-chan has ordered me to keep quiet and before you ask, the answer is no. You cannot order me to speak, it’s a violation of my right to silence, Ishimaru.” The monotone girl replied

“Grr, that is fair. Your attendance by itself shall be enough.” Ishimaru reluctantly conceded

“Wait so why am I here? I don’t skip class or fall asleep.” It was Fujisaki’s turn to voice her complaint.

“Ah…er but you’re always tinkering with something on that laptop and not paying attention to the lessons!”

“I don’t pay attention because I already  _know_  everything.”

“No excuse!”

“What? That’s a perfectly good-”

“I’ll be making the decisions here. I’ve been given full authority over this matter.” He was right. One of the perks of being the ultimate moral compass was full jurisdiction on doling out punishments.

Still…was Ishimaru always such a tyrant? Just about everything that came out of his mouth seemed forced.

Nevertheless, they were powerless and thus, the four resigned themselves to their tedious circumstances and split up into four separate sections of the room.

Naegi was prepared to catch up on sleep, Kirigiri skimmed through stacks of files, Fujisaki returned to typing and Iksuaba appeared to be cleaning her guns...No seriously, she was doing in broad daylight. Isn't that illegal?

“What are you doing!?” Ishimaru shouted at the top of his lungs…meaning he was speaking normally.

Ikusaba spoke up. “Tending to my weapons, I’ve got a permit from the school if that’s what you’re wondering.”

 _They allowed that?_ Then again, he saw the girl earlier carrying a wooden sword around.

“I am well aware of your license, I was referring to what all of you think you’re doing in detention!”

“Huh, what do you mean? We  _are_  having detention.” Fujisaki bravely tried to understand the source behind the moral compass’ dissatisfaction.

“Not like that! You’re supposed to be serving detention cohesively, such as having joint discussions, for example.”

“Aren’t we normally supposed to remain quiet during detention?” Kirigiri chimed in.

 “Ordinarily you’d be correct, classmate Kirigiri but this detention is special; you will all be free to interact with one another.” He smiled and raised both hands.

If it wasn’t obvious before, it was glaringly so now – someone (most likely a teacher) had put Ishimaru up to this. There was no other explanation for his half-baked rebuttals to every question posed at him and suspiciously adamant behavior.

Makoto felt kind of bad of him and well, there may have been a reason to be worried. Class 78’s chemistry was awful, he'd even heard some say the worst in years.  
Some of the more prominent members such as Byakuya Togami and Sayaka Maizono, either wanted nothing to do with the rest of them or were too busy to make time.

Celestia Ludenberg would scam anyone that came within a meter of her. He would know and let's leave it at that.

Makoto got along with some like Asahina, Oogami and Leon (his best friend in fact) but there was no denying there was zero cohesion amongst the class as a whole.

So Ishimaru’s idea was to reconcile this problem starting with the four us…and using ‘misconduct’ as a guise. Probably the safest explanation he could run with at the moment.

It was a nice idea by Ishimaru…but would it really work? Naegi snuck a glance towards the rest of his classmates and as expected, not a single one of them shared the Compass' enthusiasm. Fujisaki looked downright mortified – he didn’t even need to wonder why since the girl had a record of shyness.

Kirigiri-san was stoic as ever while Ikusaba-san seemed uncomfortable at the thought.

Ishimaru looked at me with pleading eyes. He was right to as I was objectively the only one with a shred of social skill among everyone in the room. But that was just capability; whether you are able to do something and whether you will do it are separate matters.

What would I fall under? There wasn’t any need to think about it because he was already moving towards Fujisaki’s desk.

It was high time he finally tried to make friends anyway. He’d thank Ishimaru for the excuse later.

“Fujisaki, you got a moment?” Naegi approached, amiably.

“N-Naegi-kun? Did you need something?” Of course, Fujisaki being as timid as she is, would be perturbed by even that.

Hmm, now I could deny the assumption but that might invoke more anxiety in the girl and make communicating even more difficult. A better idea would be to go with the flow.

“Something like that...you’re the ultimate programmer, right?” He asked

“Yes, are my skills what you need?”

“Maybe but I kind of want to know what stuff you build, tell me about your achievements!” It was always better to start by letting them know you’re interested in them, which was true. That way, they’re either quicker to build confidence and converse or defend their efforts.

“My accomplishments? Well…I know computers like the back of my hand.” Expected however, how good was what Makoto intended to find out.

“Amazing, so what kind of programs do you make? Super advanced video games?”

“Oh nothing like that. Well, I mean, my talents extend way past that, so I probably could make some if you asked. My specialties however, lie in conversationalists.” Fujisaki explained

“I don’t get it.”

“Basically I make computer programs that are better able to understand human influence and language. Like a question answering program that accepts information via voice input.” That was easier to understand but still way out of my league to truly comprehend.

Regardless “You’re seriously amazing, Fujisaki! You’re only my age and are revolutionizing technological advancements already.”

“You r-really think so? Thanks, Naegi.” She said with a smile so bright that he wouldn’t have thought it could exist in real life. Geez, way too cute.

“No problem, so what are you working on right now?” Naegi inquired, taking a look at the laptop. What he saw was…an image of Fujisaki staring back at him on the screen. Huh?

“W-Wait, you can’t see that.” The girl closed the laptop and held it towards her chest possessively “I’m under contract obligation to secrecy.”

“O-Oh, sorry for prying. I’ve already forgotten whatever it was I saw.” Makoto apologized.

“It’s fine, it was my fault for not warning you.”

He’d blown it somewhat and as a result, Fujisaki raised some of her walls back up. But all that means is that I just had to convey personal information to the girl. Conversations were a two-way street and people were more likely to share when you were too.

“Well my talent isn’t really as amazing as all that. It’s just luck, m’fraid.” Naegi scratched the back of his neck.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What does your title do exactly, can you quantify it?” Fujisaki asked, as if trying to avoid stepping on nails. Makoto presumed the programmer wasn’t sure of what exactly to ask without going past acceptable boundaries.

Really, she should loosen up more. He didn‘t mind stuff like that one bit…then again, better reserved than having a total lack of it like Natsumi.

I mentally sighed just thinking about the ghost’s lack of restraint.

“I’m not really sure. To get into Hope’s Peak, I just had to win a nation-wide lottery.”

“Eh? Is that all?” Fujisaki seemed surprised. It was a natural reaction to such an underwhelming entrance qualifier.

“Yeah but you know, I’m more unlucky than lucky. You wouldn’t believe what I’ve had to put up with.”

“T-Try me, I’ll listen.” She spoke up, staring at him with great interest.

”Well there was this time…” Makoto began speaking of one of his most famous exploits.

“WHAT!? You had to drive a bus!?” Fujisaki yelled.

“Yeah, the bus driver was knocked out and nobody else had the guts to do it. Afterwards, I chased the thief down…one thing led to another and he got hit by a major stroke of bad luck and got into an accident.”

“That’s incredible!” I could almost see the stars in the programmer’s eyes. She had probably believed every word of my story. While it was all true, was it alright for her to take such absurd happenings at face value like that? She could get into trouble being so impressionable.

“It was nothing much.” Makoto replied bashfully. Feeling I'd left a strong enough impression on Fujisaki, it was time to move onto the more difficult targets.

“Anyway, I’m going to see if I can start a conversation with the other girls, wish me luck.” He said, but before he could move, Fujisaki grabbed him and wore a concerned expression.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now, Naegi”

“Hmm? Why not?”

“Well, you came to me, first, right?”

“Yeah”

“So doesn’t that mean  _they’re_  second at best in terms of who you wanted to approach?” She said, cautiously.

…Oh… _OH!_

Darn, he hadn’t thought of that. He snuck a glance at the other girls and saw them minding their own business…though he could’ve sworn he saw both girl’s heads move just a little when he did.

If he went to talk to them right now, the next person would give him the cold shoulder and the last would be…unapproachable, to say the least.

In that case…”Fujisaki, mind if I sleep here?” He yawned. Might as well be as productive as possible and get some sleep. 1/3 wasn’t bad for the first day.

“Go right ahead. I have work to do anyway.”

 

\---

 

  
The rest of detention was spent just like that. Fujisaki woke him when it was time to leave. That said, he had still gotten in a bit more sleep before he did the same.

“Naegi-kun.” He looked to the other side of the halls and saw Kirigiri standing there outside the door. Had she been waiting for him?

“What’s up, Kirigiri-san?” He addressed the detective.

“Why did you lie to Ishimaru about Enoshima's whereabouts?” She interrogated him. Yes, this was apparently an interrogation.

“Ehehe, how’d you know?” He flustered.

“You have tells. As for what they are, I’ll leave that to you to figure out.” She responded, coldly.

He had the feeling he wasn't very well liked by the detective.

“Okay…you wanted to know about Ishimaru, right? Well, I’m not really hiding a secret in general, just not something I’d want to tell him. I don’t think it’d end with just detention if he found out.”

“Found out what? That’s what I want to know.”

This was going to be awkward to explain…

“About me and Enoshima. She kind of invited me to the girl’s dorm yesterday for a movie night and she was pretty forceful about it.” One way to put it for sure.

“You mean besides your actions being a violation of the rules and breaking curfew? The incentive must have been quite tempting to outweigh the possibility of expulsion.” She stated, almost in contempt.

But she really was mocking him. He just didn’t realize it.

“Well yeah, I’m a guy after all. There’s no way I could refuse.” What 16-year-old boy wants a gossip magnet telling everyone that you had enuresis all the way up to the 5th grade? He didn’t know where Enoshima got that info, but he couldn't have refused her. Besides, all she asked in exchange for not tattling on him was to watch a video. No biggie.

“…Interesting.” Her words were neutral, but Makoto couldn’t help but notice her eyes narrowed ever so slightly “What was it like? The movie I mean?”

“It was very immersive, so much that it stuck with me the entire night … although, I don’t remember the actual story being all that good.” He explained.

"You thought the movie was intrusive...but not memorable?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. It sounds strange, but the animation and vivid images really made it great.” He elaborated.

“...Alright then. That’ll be all.”

“W-Wait. You’re not going to tell anyone are you?”

“I’m not reporting you. I’m only interested in learning the truth. That said, you would have done better to state your terms before giving me the information I needed”

Fair… but on the bright side, now he had nothing to worry about.

“Hey Kirigiri-san, want to hang out?” He requested

The girl stared at him for a few moments before uttering a single, Earth-shattering “No”. Not skipping a beat, she turned around and went on her way.

Makoto stood there wide-eyed, mouth-gaping, frozen and devastated. He’d been mentally prepared for rejection, but he had predicted something along the lines of “No, I’m busy.” Or “I’m not interested in fraternizing.”

But to shut him down outright and walk away? That wasn’t good for the heart. Had he said something? He didn’t think so.

He just had to keep trying and it’ll all work out. Optimism is my one redeeming feature after all.

He smacked his cheeks with both hands and ran off in the direction the detective left.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Mukuro Ikusaba had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Junko-chan said to watch out for any changes but he doesn’t look any different to me.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was chapter one. I'll be updating this around 2-3 times a week. 
> 
> The timeline's probably a serious mess since I don't remember exactly how Natsumi's death went down in DR3. For the next chapter. Naegi has a chat with a certain photographer.


	2. Friendly Fire

What to do now? Leon (the jerk)  wasn’t available and Sayaka was still on-tour. There was nobody to hang out with, because he didn't know anybody else. He thought of asking Fujisaki, but she brushed him off for club duties with two upperclassmen.

Thus making the walk-through campus booooring. 

“ _I did it for you!_ ” A grating screech made it's way to his ears.

Huh, what’s going on?                                                                                        

He briskly walked towards the direction of the scream and stopped before reaching a clearing outside the music room window. Standing in the middle of it were 2 girls in different uniforms. Makoto recognized the uniform worn by a red-head as similar to his own but the other looked like it belong to someone from the reserve course. They were so transfixed in their apparent squabble that they didn’t even notice his presence.

“H-How can you possibly say that you did something that terrible for my sake!?”  Red shouted back

Seems like a harmless lover’s spat…and probably not something he should eavesdrop on.

“Come  _on_ , Mahiru. You know that bitch would have done anything to get into the main course, including getting you expelled or worse, killing you!”

“But that didn’t make it right for you  _to kill her_!”

Harmless…right.

Okay, now assuming he hadn’t misheard that...was it really such a good idea for both of them to be saying such incriminating things in broad daylight? Probably not.

Now what truly mattered was what he would do in his current predicament. Objectively speaking, the best possible outcome for an ordinary person would be to high-tail it out of here and not get himself mixed up in something dangerous.

For two reasons that were very clear to him, Naegi did the opposite.

“Heeey, you guys okay over there?” He raised his voice to accentuate the distance between himself and the girls…and to convey the illusion that words would have more difficulty reaching the other party.

The girls snapped their heads towards his direction. Both showing expressions of anxiety, anger and most notably, fear.

Now I know what you’re thinking - why go out of my way to expose myself rather than making the executive decision to run away? It’s simple; I’m the Super High School Level  **Un** luckster. I think I said that during the introduction, right? That means I’m usually getting the short end of the stick in pivotal situations like these. Now, anything could happen to bite me in the ass such as, ‘accidentally’ stepping on a branch, ‘accidentally’  tripping over my shoelaces,  a cat loudly meowing next to me or someone I know yelling out my name from behind – anything to alert my presence could and probably  _would_  have happened.

Knowing this, don’t you think it’s smarter to go with the flow than fight against it? By taking the initiative, I don't appear too suspicious.

Oh sure, they’re definitely still wary of me but now there's the uncertainty of "Did he hear?" or if they're really pragmatic "How much did he hear?". It's a lot harder to act on anything without confirmation. Although, it's not like most people would ask those questions outright; that'd just be giving themselves away as up to something suspicious.

“Who are you and how long have you been standing there!?”  The reserve course student addressed him in the roundabout manner he'd expected.

“I’m Makoto Naegi, a freshman from class 78. N-Nice to meet you.” He skittishly introduced himself.

“I asked how long you’ve been there!” 

 _"_ N-Not long, I just heard some loud voices...was there something I wasn't supposed to hear?” He yelped 

She could have killed him 10 times over with a glare like that. What’s with her?

The reserve course zipped her mouth.

“Stop bullying him!” Mahiru, whose name he hadn't missed, defended him.  _At least she sounded nice._

“And you!” She was speaking to him this time. “Stand up for yourself. If you’re trying to get involved in someone else’s fight, don’t be so passive when you’re attacked by them. You’re just uselessly getting in the way.”  He was relentlessly lectured for his own impotence.

“Y-Yes ma’am.” He instinctively saluted at the force of her tone. It was an unintentional reaction …

“Are you making fun of me?” Mahiru said while giving him strange looks. Whatever tension they had built up had melted into total confusion because of him.

“Let’s finish this conversation later, Mahiru. I think we’ll need to anyway.” The black-haired girl spoke up again

“Uh…sure.  I’ll call you later, Sato.”

‘Sato’ walked away from Mahiru and passed him, glaring at him again as their eyes met.

He was getting on a lot of people’s nerves today.

“Naegi-kun, was it? I’m Mahiru Koizumi,  the Ultimate Photographer from the 77th class.” She introduced herself.

He nodded in the response and held out his hand as a sign of friendship. Mahiru hesitantly reciprocated the gesture.

“…Did you really not hear anything?” She asked, timidly; a direct contrast from her bossy persona moments earlier.

“Huh? Not everything but enough to know your friend killed someone.” He admitted and let go of her hand.

The camera-woman's breath hitched as she stared at him in shock.

“Was I not supposed to hear that? You were talking preeetty loudly then~.”  He singsonged.

A moment of silence passed. “…Are you going to report her?” 

“Hmm, I don’t know. Do you think I should?”  He was genuinely curious. Some people just didn’t like doing the dirty work themselves.

Mahiru looked deeply conflicted as he posed the question. Which was an answer in of itself.

“Alright, I won’t say anything since it bothers you so much. I don’t think you’re a bad person, so you wouldn’t make friends with bad people either. I’m sure she’ll realize what she did wrong and turn herself in. I mean, I’m guessing that’s why you haven’t done anything right?”

She breathed a sigh of relief “Y-yes, that’s correct. But she’s convinced herself that killing Natsumi was right, because it was to protect me.”

Did she just say…

With some difficulty, he brushed off the full veracity of Mahiru’s statement. Though she had no idea what she was telling him…ignorance was scary.

“Having someone care enough about you to go that far is heartwarming in a way…but more than that, it’s also seriously irresponsible to push that kind of burden onto them too, I think.” He advised.

Mahiru nodded gravely in agreement.

“That’s exactly it! She doesn’t get how awful it makes me feel, how awful it must be everyone involved.”

Everyone…

“I get it. In that case, since I know the secret too, you can count on me to help both of you out. That is, if you don’t mind.” He offered his assistance.

 _“_ I’m conflicted about praising you however, you may be more dependable than I first thought."

“Ehehehe.” He blushed. Rare compliments like that always put him in a good mood.

"Just a little though. You're short and scrawny. If you don't shape up, then you'll never be popular."

Scratch that. He couldn't tell if it was better or worse that she was being honest about her opinion.

“Say, Naegi…you said you were from the 78th class, didn’t you?” She carefully asked.

“Yup.”

“Then that means you know Junko Enoshima, right!?” She was quite a bit forceful this time.

_Enoshima again?_

Makoto was reminded of his earlier scuffle with Natsumi’s brother…what was his name? Fuyu…argh, he’ll ask later. The girl with him had said Enoshima’s name too.

“She’s my classmate, why do you ask?”

“W-Why? Don’t any of you notice something  _strange_  about her?” Enoshima-san was certainly strange, but in his case, that was just relentless teasing. It's not like she ever tried to hurt him.

“Uh…I hope you don’t take this wrong way, Koizumi-senpai…however this is Hope’s Peak. You’d have better luck telling me to notice things that weren’t out of the ordinary. I’m pretty sure  _all_  the students here are crazy in some way, no exceptions.”

She sighed “Not like  _that._ It’s  just…she appeared in our class one day and since then everything’s started to change. Some of my classmates, my friends, my  _teacher_  slowly began behaving differently and they just listen to whatever she tells them.”

She sounded serious about this…but was it objectively as significant as she claims? It could just be a phase…teenage years were periods of experimentation after all. No clue about the instruct-

Wait…

“Is F-Fuyu a member of your class?” He said dumbly, unable to recall the gangster's full name.

“…Fuyu?”  She gave him a look that could only be described as shell-shocked. “A-Are you talking about Kuzuryuu?”

“Yeah. Short blond guy. Cute babyface.”

“…I  guess you're a weirdo after all.” Her shoulders dropped.

 “... A little, yeah. But more importantly, would you say he’s been acting differently?”

“Definitely…he always talked a big game but recently, he’s been getting violent. Physically violent, I didn’t think he was that big of a thug.” She said, regrettably.

That made both Mahiru and Natsumi…and himself technically. After all, I'd nearly been stabbed by said Yakuza a few hours before.  While one could chalk it up to delinquent behavior, Kuzuryuu apparently only changed very recently according to them.

Junko huh? I’m not so sure of high school students getting into something shady but you never know. There are all kinds of people out there.

Speaking of which “I ran into Kuzuryuu the other day and he said something about getting evidence on some, er ‘bitch’.” He lowered his voice to mimic the Yakuza a and failed miserably. Guess he wasn’t comfortable with swearing.

“I wasn’t really sure of the context, but you and your friend should probably be careful. He didn’t sound very peaceful to me.”

“Thank you for the warning, Naegi-kun.” He wondered how much of that was true because she started shaking as soon as he told her.

“You don’t need to take everything on by yourself, Koizumi-senpai. You can count on me to help too, since we’re friends now.” He beamed.

“W-What? No. This isn’t some kind of game, I-I’m involved in murder. There’s no way I can get you or anyone else caught up in it!”

She was so kind. Now he really wanted to be her friend.

“But Koizumi-san...wasn’t trying to do everything by yourself how you got in this mess?”

“Huh?”

“I’m not referring to you specifically but Sato-san. The one who she was trying protecting you and took it upon herself to do what she felt was necessary. How did that end up for you two? ”

“T-That’s…”

“I appreciate your consideration, but that line of thinking is no good. You should learn to depend on others in times of peril and this is definitely one of those times. Acting by yourself just leaves you vulnerable.” He suggested.

I could name so many who lost so much because they refused to seek help before it was too late. Pitiful things.

Naegi gave the ultimate time to think over his words.

“Y-You’re right…but is that okay with you?” She finally answered.

 “Of course it is, and I know I’m right.”

He stepped closer to the older girl until they were separated by a distance of mere centimeters

 “You don’t need to be so reserved to an underclassman like me. Together, we’ll convince Sato-san and everyone else.” Makoto clasped his hands over Mahiru’s and brought them up to his chest.

 “Trust me.”

“I-I will. Thank you so much, Naegi.”

She looked like she was about to break down. It must have been hard keeping all of that bottled up for so long. Well, I was always ready to lend a helping hand. But the surname calling had to go.

“No problem. And my first name’s Makoto, be sure to call me that.”

“Um…Makoto it is then.” A red tinge apparent on her cheeks, it matched her hair well.

He nodded happily.

Afterwards they had exchanged contacts and bid goodbyes.

 

\---

 

Naegi’s thoughts were preoccupied with Enoshima as he made his way to the men’s’ dorm building. Mahiru had mentioned some strange things he’d like to confirm with the model…but he doubted she’d tell him openly.

That’s why he’d have to ask indirectly through Ikusaba, but where would he look for her? Maybe he could ask Ishimaru in the library, since he evidently kept such good tabs on everyone.

As it turned out, he didn't have to go all that far...because he just quickly turned around the corner and found the soldier standing beside a nearby tree. What a rare stroke of good luck.

“Ikusaba-san!” She staggered a bit as he waved and ran towards her. The girl gave him an apprehensive expression as he approached.

“How did you discover me?” An odd question.

“Discover? Weren’t you just hanging around here?” He tilted his head in confusion.

“I was…never mind,  so what do you want…No, actually there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you.” That was rare; Ikusaba almost never initiated a conversation with anyone. Whatever she had to say to him was probably more important than anything he could bring to the table.

He was surprised when she asked him if he had begun acting differently than normal. It was a bit too vague a question to understand.

“Huh? Not really. Do I look sick?”

“No…the way you think. Have you noticed anything strange?”

He brought a finger to his chin and reflected on his past behavior...nothing came to mind. “Nope. I’m the same as I’ve always been. Or is there a reason why I should feel different?”

“No reason. I was just curious.” She seemed disappointed to hear that. “So what did you want to ask me?”

My turn “I’ve been hearing some strange things about your sister, so I was wondering what she’s been up to.”

In that moment, the world froze. Naegi’s world to be precise, as an overbearing wave of bloodlust crashed down on him. All of it was emanating from the glazed- over look in Ikusaba’s eyes.

Those were the eyes of a cold-blooded killer and he appeared to have stepped on a figurative landmine.

He finally took his surroundings into account and realized they were nobody else around. If she wanted to kill him, there’d be nothing stopping her…and that terrified him.

But even moreso, this was sloppy. Mukuro may as well have outright confirmed my suspicions. There was something shady going on.

I hadn’t expected her to be the overprotective sister but that also meant she was hiding something.

To begin with, I barely knew anything about Mukuro, why was that?  At the very least, why hadn't I done my research first?

Oh well. No time like the present, after all.

“…but before that. Ikusaba, tell me about yourself.” He said out of the blue.

Whatever intimidation she exuded dissipated in an instant “About…me?” She spluttered

“Yeah. You don’t talk much in class, so I was curious. And I think you know about Ishimaru’s transparent intention, I just thought we could use the opportunity to know each other better.”

My  smile must have been infectious  because her lips twitched upwards as well…slightly anyway.

“That’s the first time anyone’s ever asked me that. Most people are usually just afraid of me and I thought you were too.” She admitted.

Fear? Was that the reason they rarely interacted before this? I was certainly horrified moments ago but that was an extreme case.  If it really was just fear, then I could be rather ridiculous at times. The person standing in front of me was no different than anyone else.

“Maybe I was little afraid but…do  _you_  think you’re scary?” He posed

“…I have a reputation of killing dozens on the battlefield.” She stared at him, blankly.

“Not like that. I want to know if you go out of your way to try and scare people.” He elaborated.

“Usually, no. Not unless I have to or Junko-chan asks.”

“Then that’s great!”

“In what way?” She raised a doubting expression

“Well, if everyone thinks you’re scary but you’re not trying to present yourself as frightening then  all we have is a misunderstanding. And  _all_  misunderstandings can be cleared up when people talk or share their feelings and thoughts with each other.”

“I’m…not sure it’s that simple, Naegi. Regardless of what everyone else thinks of me, I  _am_  a killer; there are no lies on that end and that can't be swept away with just words...I think.”

“Why not?” Now it was his turn to be dumbfounded.

“What do you mean? That’s just the way things are.” 

There seems to be a fundamental disconnect I can’t resolve…might want to approach from a different angle.

“Ikusaba-san, what do you think about me?” Makoto asked. A curious gleam swept across his innocent eyes.

“You…can’t…just  _ask that._ ”  She muttered under her breath

Huh, why’s she all flustered?  It wasn’t a hard question or anything. Wasn’t I clear enough?

“Uh, what I’m trying to say is that I probably look like a normal, average guy you’d find anywhere right?”

“No! Y-You’re not normal at all!”

 _“WHAT!?”_ Naegi cried, genuinely hurt by her remark _._ “Do you think there’s something  _wrong with me!?_ ”

“ I didn’t mean it like that. I always thought…you were a really kind and cool person; you don’t even seem to mind talking to me of all people.”

O-Oh, guess he overreacted a little there.

“Hehehe, thanks but I don’t think I’m nice at all. I’m just like everyone else and  _I_  see you’re not scary. Maybe if you just come out to more people, I’m sure they’ll see the same thing I do.”

“Really? Then you don’t mind?”

“Nope, we can start with Fujisaki. We’re all in the same boat so let’s get along from tomorrow on…and who knows, we might even get Kirigiri-san to join us too.” He suggested

Ikusaba-san’s mood soured at the mention of the detective. That was disconcerting.

“I don’t think I can get along with her.”

He laughed “I don’t think Kirigiri-san is an easy person for  _anybody_  to get along with, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. After all, I’m trying with you, aren’t I?” Makoto pouted, second guessing his actions. “Or am I being too pushy and going about this all wrong?”

“No, you’re right.” He was hearing that a lot today.

“You’re kind to everyone, aren’t you?” She said.

“Come on, you’re overestimating me.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Naegi enters an intimate relationship with Peko('s sword)


	3. Naked Blade

The next few days were relatively peaceful. Makoto, Fujisaki and Ikusaba had formed a close-knit circle and he learned quite a bit from the girls, and about them.

Fujisaki tended to freeze up whenever he asked for advice on…anything related to the other gender. Moreover, she would always make slight deprecating gestures towards a discussion remotely masculine . Makoto wondered if she was uncomfortable with her sexuality – the girl seemed to value strength and respected tougher guys like Oowada as a result. Nothing he could do about that since he wasn't fit at all, but he could at least boost help her psychologically instead.

Ikusaba-san was a simpler case to understand, she was just as shy as Fujisaki, leaving him with the responsibility to facilitate all of their conversations and keep things going. He was worried about the contrast when compared to the bloodlust Ikusaba had directed towards him the previous day; She could turn from a nice, ordinary girl into a trained killer at the drop of a hat and all it took was a trigger - Anything that threatened her safety…or her sister’s.

Then there was the biggest problem, Kirigiri. She had denied each and every single one of his advances. He was making slight headway in regard to exactly  _how_  she put him down; now she bothered to give him full sentences but regardless, there was only so much rejection a guy could take. Of course, he asked in moderation. There wasn’t a need to go full-creeper as he was absolutely  **not**  a stalker and knew full well that it would achieve the opposite effect. All he could do was leave the metaphorical door open for whenever she felt she could cross it.

On Mahiru-senpai's end, she informed him that Sato-san was seeing the school’s therapist and was considering confessing to her before going to the police. It sounded like a good idea. More importantly though, Mahiru had also sent him useful texts about her classmates; ones to avoid and others who were relatively well-off.

The compromised were as follows:

-Ibuki Mioda: The Ultimate Musician. Colorful-hair, upbeat, very-eccentric tastes. Prone to playing excessively loud music in violations of school code.

He may have heard about her on the HPA blog once. Didn’t she quit because of conflicting tastes with her bandmates? Maybe there’s more to that story.

-Sonia Nevermind: He didn’t need additional information to know who  _this_  was. The Princess turned Queen of campus and able to make even the most hard-boiled men fall on their knees.  _He'd seen it happen._

-Mikan Tsumiki: The nurse? Given his frequent clumsiness, he obviously knew Tsumiki somewhat thanks to treating his injuries and she never seemed to do anything mean like turn him away whenever he came for help. If anything she seemed happy to have him there often.

He had a faint feeling they were similar

-Ryouta Mitarai: The Ultimate Animator. Heavy-sized but surprisingly fit, the silent type and kept  to himself until Enoshima’s arrival

His eyes furrowed as he skimmed over the animator’s talent. He was known to produce high-quality animation; enough to bring most to tears and impress with ground-breaking visuals.

Hmm, nothing about the quality of his story written in here. That sounds similar to the film I watched a few days ago. Could he have been the one who made the video? Why go through the trouble?

-Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu:  The ‘man’ of the hour. Ultimate Yakuza as expected. Foul-mouthed, arrogant and a bunch of other derogatory insults…Mahiru definitely didn’t get along with this guy. 

He stumbled onto a comment isolated from the others…“he used to have a strong sense of responsibility and dependability.”

Interesting, Natsumi had said the same…but this had changed since he met Enoshima-san?

The last was Peko Pekoyama, The Ultimate Swordswoman and bodyguard to Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the latter detail was only discovered recently. Capable and honest, rarely shows emotion. Unmatched swordplay and victor of numerous kendo tournaments.

He failed to suppress a giggle.

That… _That_  name didn’t fit the image he had of the stoic woman in his head. Still, she had been the one to save him.

He should give her his thanks…oh, there's more.

‘Thinks of herself as a tool.’ What did Mahiru mean by this? 

It would appear around half of class 77 were on the compromised portion but that was only quantity. In terms of quality, they also included some of the more significant members if I was to assess them objectively.

Sigh

Slow steps then. 

 

 ---

 

Makoto saw a lone figure ceremoniously sat facing the decorated walls of a spacious dojo.

“Who’s there?” She spoke, back turned to him as he entered. She’d noticed as soon as he took a single step onto the platform

He laughed awkwardly “Hi.”

She turned to face him. “You are the one from the other day. State your business.”

“I wanted to say thank you for saving me.”

“Your gratitude is unnecessary. I merely acted to prevent the young master from acting rashly. I couldn’t care less for your well-being.”

Harsh

“I see but, in this case, your intentions don’t really matter. I’ll base my opinion on your actions.” I countered. “Wait, that didn’t come out right! I meant that regardless of your intentions, that doesn’t change the fact that I owe you one.” He scratched his cheek.

“I have nothing more to say to one of Her associates. If you say there’s a debt that needs to be repaid, then settle it by removing yourself from my presence.” Hatred by affiliation. Bit rough considering neither he nor Enoshima-san knew each other well enough for that. 

Should he just leave? No, there were still cards to play

“That’s fine, you don’t have to say anything then.” I strolled forward until I stood by the girl and sat down, emulating her form.

“What are you scheming?” She demanded

“Just sitting down~.” He sent her a mischievous grin “A dojo is welcome to everyone you know...speaking of which, are you the only one here?”

“I am all that is needed. The dojo is for those who practice the sword and as any student in Hope’s Peak should know, there is only one representative of talent.” Peko said.

“That sounds a bit lonely. How about I help you out as a sparring partner?” He offered.

 She scoffed “…You do not appear to possess the physique to make for an adequate opponent…or is there some technique you’re hiding?”

“hehehe, you won’t know until you accept.” He showed a toothy grin.

“…How ridiculous. Very well, I accept this challenge.”

Peko pointed to her stack of shinai to use as his weapon. She also suggested he put on some gear, but he declined, thinking it unnecessary.

Afterwards, she placed a timer on the far corner of the room to act as a countdown. Then the two stood on opposing sides, sword in hand.

_3....2..._

Was he holding this sword, right?

_...1_

The chime signaled the beginning of the duel…and its swift conclusion; Pekoyama had splendidly crossed the distance between them and poised the blunt edge of her wooden sword mere inches from Makoto’s eyeball.

“Gah!” Was all he could mutter. He hastily stepped back and blinked repeatedly.

“My victory.” She confirmed and withdrew her weapon.

“How’d you move so fast? Was that cheating!? Do you have two talents? You’ve got to have an SHSL sprinter in there somewhere, admit it!” He whined. He didn’t even dream he could win but losing like  _that_  surpassed expectations.

Pekoyama looked at him suspiciously for a moment “No, I do not possess multiple talents and I most definitely don’t need to cheat.  _That_  was the outcome of over a decade’s worth of training and hard work.” Something that could barely pass as a mocking smirk crossed her features. “You also happened to make  quite a few amateur mistakes.”

“It was my first time using one of these, give me a break.”

“You’ve never picked up a sword in your life and you thought you could beat me? Is it arrogance or are you a fool?” 

“Maybe both.” He shrugged “But I want a rematch. One more!”

“Very well, but if I win this time, you must promise never to step foot into this dojo again.”

He  _really_  wasn't very well liked.

“Fine.” He consented and distanced himself from the girl. Maybe he would have a better chance if he was far away enough to see her coming.

The two stanced off again.

The chime came, and Makoto moved first this time.

 As he placed strength into his first step, the wooden floor accidentally caved in and his right foot with it. His now offset balance made him slant to one end, which also made his appear shorter than he normally was…but that allowed him to evade the swing that came at him in a horizontal arc.

All Makoto felt was the sharp breeze that tussled his hair, but he knew it had been Pekoyama’s sword. In that instant, he thrust his own in front of him.

The clacking sound of sticks colliding filled the room. Peko had recovered faster, blocked his thrust and then moved back, around 2 meters ‘s distance separating them. Not missing the chance to capitalize, Makoto decided to advance

Only, in his desperation, he forgot to consider that his foot was  _still_  trapped underneath the floor, consequently, he fell face first.

Perhaps it might not have hurt that much had he only smashed his head against the floor but unfortunately, his wooden sword got in the way and his forehead impacted that instead.

 “Ow!” He screamed, clutching his head. He felt a wet feeling on his palm as blood trickled down his face.

“Stay right there.” Peko ordered as she went to fetch a first-aid kid.

 ---

She acted quickly and had disinfected and patched the wound within minutes.

“Thank you…sorry about your floor.” He muttered, playing with the band-aid now covered his forehead.

“It is no problem. Rather, this error is mine; I am supposed to be the caretaker of this dojo and to not have noticed a weakening in its structure is my fault. Although, while I do not intend to excuse myself, I’m surprised it happened at all – I did not think the school would allow such a hazard.” She bowed her head.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself, I’m serious when I say it’s my fault.” Pekoyama shot him a quizzical look.  “I’m Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student.”

Peko nodded, as if his talent alone was all the explanation she needed. “I understand completely. “

“R-Really? It usually takes a few attempts before people get that I’m not a fake.”

“That may have been the case for me as well some time ago. I too had once questioned the board’s decision for sponsoring such superstition…however, after spending some years with Komaeda-kun, I can say for certain luck is a truly powerful element.”

Komaeda-san…If he recalled, that was the lucky student a year ahead of him.

“I also see you are quite similar…I believed only Tsumiki to be physically capable of such clumsiness but what I just witnessed was right on-par.” That smile again...

“Oi, I’m not that bad.” He blushed.

“…You know of Tsumiki?” She asked.

“Yeah, I visit the office a lot because of accidents like these.” He replied

“Then I  am glad that wound didn’t prove serious…I would rather not have to send you to Tsumiki, if at all possible.”

“Hehe, you’re right, I shouldn't bother her all the time.”

“That…wasn’t my meaning. While I do not wish to speak ill of my classmates, I urge you refrain from visiting the clinic. Or at the very least see someone else. If she becomes attached to you, your safety wouldn’t be guaranteed.”

It sounded like she was implying Tsumiki was dangerous…but he hadn’t gotten that sort of feeling before. Then again…Mahiru said the same too and they should have known her better than he did.

Then he remembered.

“Hey! That right now didn’t count as a loss, did it?” He yelled, fearfully.

“No, we’ll settle that as a draw…on that note, I would like to apologize.”

“For?”

“My earlier hostility. I could not trust anyone remotely linked to Junko Enoshima…though, now that I think clearly, there was never any reason to fear. Enoshima has the young master in her clutches and by extension, me as well. There is no reason I should fear defeat when I’ve already lost."

"Additionally, I do not believe I could remain on-guard against you even if I tried after observing that display.”

“You know, just because you play the stoic character doesn’t mean I can’t see you’re taking shots at me.” He pouted. She was making fun of him, right? She definitely was! 

“I apologize yet again.” This apology sounded a lot less genuine than the others…

“Forget it.” He sighed. “ So, there really is something going on with your class and Enoshima-san?”

Peko pursed her lips.

“I cannot answer that.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Orders. I cannot defy them. ” Her tone suggested the matter was final.

Thinks of herself as a tool…he was starting to get an idea of exactly what that meant. Questioning her further wouldn’t get him anywhere today.

He debated talking to the swordswoman about Natsumi and seeing if he could get anything worthwhile but that was unlikely without appearing as either incredibly suspicious or revealing, either in part or fully, about his ‘other’ talent; one he couldn’t prove and one she likely wouldn’t believe.

Nobody ever did.

 

\---

 

Makoto returned to the music room again, just some time before meeting up with his classmates.

He may not have been able to get anything out of Pekoyama but there was Natsumi may be a different story. She couldn’t exactly compromise his investigation or anything. Heh, he felt kind of like a detective nowadays. Maybe he could even teach Kirigiri a thing or 2 now…probably just wishful thinking.

“Natsumi, you there?” He called.

“Not like there’s anywhere else I can go, and if you say I can ‘pass on’ for the 20th time, I’ll gut you.”

“But…you can’t even touch me. You're a ghost remember? ”

“Smartass…so what did you want?”

“I was just wondering…you were murdered right?”

 “ _Obviously.”_   The Kuzuryu twin grit her teeth.

 _“_ Then…do you know  _who_  killed you?”

“Of course I do. It was that bitch, Sato!”

Ah, so she knew that then…

“What did you mean when you said your brother was your ticket out of here?”

“Didn’t I say it? He’s going to get payback for me and once I get wind of that, then I’ll leave.”

A part of him expected this motive but…that couldn’t be allowed to happen. “You mean this whole time, you’ve been waiting here just so your brother can  _kill_  for you?”

“Uh yeah, I don’t know how normal folks it do but we have a code in the yakuza; an eye for an eye, always get even.  Someone fucks with you then you fuck with em back.”

“ _Why!?_ “ He asked. There was no point. Nobody would be really happy that way, there’s no hope in that kind of decision, just hollow self-satisfaction. “Don’t you get that you’d be making your own brother into a killer?”

She laughed in response…hard!

“M-Making Fuyu a killer-ahahaha. This has got to be culture shock!" It took a while before she stopped.

 "Listen here cuz I’ll only say it one more time. We’re Yakuza, we and killing are synonymous. If a mob boss couldn’t kill for their own family, then he’d  have no place in the underground. Besides…don’t you think it’s unfair? That whore took everything from me, but she gets to roam around where she damn well pleases.  _I,_  on the other hand, can’t go home and I can’t see my family – I’m just trapped here, in this goddamn room. Do you have any idea how that feels? Being forced to stay in the place where you got your head bashed in and not being able to do a damn thing about it!? It’s like I’m living in my own damn coffin!”

There’s no way he could understand her suffering, there wasn’t even a need to try. Nevertheless, he had heard similar tales before. It was the same for all the spirits he met; some took it better than others. Some took it worse. Based on previous experience, Natsumi was  _ **slightly**_ **teetering to the latter spectrum.**

“That may be, but revenge is  _never_  the answer, you’re just hurting more people.”

“Says you. How would you even know when you’re Makoto “I’m too much of a pussy to hit a fly” Naegi.”

He frowned deeply at that.

“Geez, don’t take it personally. I was just kidding, friends do that after all.”

His ahoge spiked at hearing that. His brief irritation vanished as well.

“Eh? Friends? Really?”

“Uh yeah? I maybe a ghost but I wouldn’t give some schmuck the time of day if they didn’t mean shit.” She shrugged

He smiled, happy at the thought of making…or rather confirming yet another friend.

But you know Natsumi, if we’re friends...that’s all the more reason why I won’t let you do something you or anyone else will regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Naegi gets even smaller


	4. Regrettable Experiences

The sun was still high during the afternoon.

A child frolicked by his lonesome on a nearby playground, playing with whatever he could in the sandbox.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t have many friends, he had plenty and was looked up to by them, however they had all gone home, leaving him alone and waiting for his parents. Well, alone wasn’t quite right. There was an old lady sitting on the bench near him, staring off into the distance.

Growing bored of aimless floundering, he peeked at the other individual and noticed the somber expression on her face.

He was sensitive to the emotions of others and would try to pacify them whenever he could. In this case, his parents always told him not to talk to strangers.

Then again, they also told him that helping people was the right thing to do. They would understand.

He walked over to the lonely figure by the bench and sat next to her. His legs didn’t quite touch the ground, so he just kicked at the air, humming while he did.

Her expression didn’t shift at all, like she hadn’t even noticed him. He puffed his cheeks in annoyance.

His patience wasn’t nearly developed enough to play a waiting game and so…

“Granny pay attention to me already!” He whined, raising his arms. He was usually the center of attention, therefore being outright ignored wasn’t something he could tolerate.

The elderly woman’s eyes came into focus as she stared down at Naegi with a look shifting from confusion, to shock and disbelief.

“Little boy are you talking to me?” She said after a time.

He nodded “Yup. There’s nobody else here.”

“Oh my…you’re quite a special young man.” She said kindly.

She finally smiled but it wasn’t the kind he was looking for. She still seemed sad for some reason.

“Why are you sad?” It was an innocent, direct and completely tactless question. One that could only have been considered adorable when used by a child.

“Hohoho. If I appear that way to you then it must be so.” She laughed “Let’s see. If I were to be sad about anything, it’s that I can no longer meet my family. Including my grandson.”

“Eh? Did they move far away?”

She shook her head. “No. I am the one who left them behind.”

He scrunched his nose, not really following.

“I don’t really get it buuut, that means you’re lonely right?”

“Something like that.” She nodded

“Okay, then I’ll keep you company from now on.” He enthusiastically shot his arm into the air.

She giggled “How dependable. I’m sure you’ll grow up to be quite a fine young man at this rate.”

They spoke amiably from then till the time he saw his parent’s car roll around.

“That’s for me. Bye for now." He jumped off and ran. "Oh and my name’s Makoto Naegi.” He shouted, now a good distance away.

The elder woman was puzzled by the “for now” bit but waved back at him. "

At that time, their interactions had merely been one of an adult, humoring the naiveté of a child however, the next day, that boy returned and kept his promise.

And the day after that….and the day after that. Eventually, days changed to months

 

\---

 

“Granny!” He greeted.

Makoto had come to realize this woman was always there to meet him with the same clothes and the same complexion. Simply put, nothing about her changed since the day they met.

“Makoto, dear. Was today a good experience for you?”

“Yeah, my exam scores came in.” He proudly clutched a thin sheet of paper towards his chest

“Top of your class again?”

“Third.” He pouted.

He had consistently boasted his achievements to her in the past. She believed confidence at such a critical stage in youth needed to be fostered through achievement…but perhaps he was a bit  _too_  confident for his age. A small lesson in humility is good every once in a while.

“That’s still very impressive. Congratulations.”  She motioned to pat his head but stilled her hand at a level where it didn’t quite reach him. It was a pointless gesture, as she could not physically touch him even if she tried. It would, however, leave an unpleasant sensation were her hands to pass through him.

Pointless it may have been, the boy’s smile and affection had given it meaning.

“Tell me a story.”  He asked.

She laughed. It was  _always_  like this. It had become their routine to give him recollections of her life stories. It had been something she had done with her own grandchild, so this was akin to a second experience for her. 

She had often wondered whether he truly found them enjoyable, but those worries were dispelled the instant she saw that expression of adoration and interest. It was just so  _adorable_  and knowing someone could find something worthwhile in her life gave her a sense of joy and satisfaction. Truly, this child was a blessing sent to someone who had already lost everything.

And before long, she had begun to think of him as her own family. However much of an illusion it was.

Honestly, she was running out of stories to tell, there was only one left of import and…it was one she held dear to her heart.

“I do have quite a special story today, but it may not be as happy as the others…”

“It’s fine. I wanna hear.”

“Very well, let us call it the last chapter of my trials... It involved my daughter, Yuriko's, marriage” And her most ignoble. Looking back, it had all began over such a trivial affair; her daughter had gone and eloped with a foreigner. She was old and had been a stickler for tradition thus considered the marriage as an utter disgrace to their family name. She had never given her blessings or approval…instead she had informally disowned her own daughter.

They did not see or speak to each other for years, and not for a lack of trying on Yuriko's end. The fault lied entirely with her own stubbornness and insecurities…even her own husband before he passed away had been much less vindictive concerning the matter. She, on the other hand never yielded an inch, not publicly. As it turned out…it wasn’t very easy to discard emotions you’ve felt towards another for nearly three decades. On the outside, she appeared indifferent, but the internal conflict had slowly become unbearable.

There were days where she spent hours deciding on whether to pick up that phone, to send letters or emails. She did neither because of her pride and it became more difficult to do as the weeks passed; she had told herself that it could be done at any time so there was no need to rush.

Time waits for no man.

She learned that the hard way on that fateful day, when she heard the sound of the door bell. She was met with two unfamiliar faces; A stern-looking man in a business suit and a boy, no older than Makoto. The latter was who most grabbed her attention. He was fidgety, confused and most of all, depressed. However, he also had  _her_  eyes and  _her_  face; it was a something she, who had taken care of Yuriko since she was just a baby would recognize instantly. Any mother would.

What the man had told her that day, shook her world. The child she raised as her pride and joy, and later abandoned had gotten into accident and died, along with her husband.

Ah, she cursed her worthless pride.

The boy's name was Kyousuke. He had no other relatives besides her and nobody else to care for him. It was an awkward and cruel situation. She had never met him before nor did she know his name until the man had told her and now they were living together as complete strangers. He behaved despondently; nothing caught his eye or seemed to interest him. If she did not call him down to eat, she was sure he would starve himself.

However, being the useless woman that she was, could not help him get over his grief when she had yet to do the same. Every time she looked at him, she was reminded of her own incompetence and idiocy. She made mistakes and now had no way to correct them…nor anyone to pardon them anymore.

One night, she pulled out an old family album and searched through pictures of her golden age. Surely, those were actions of a masochist.

“Is that mom?” Those were the first words she heard from her grandson as he peered over. She had been too caught up in her reminiscing to notice him coming closer.

To have deciphered Yuriko's identity based on such an old photo was incredible enough of itself, but it was equally pitiful.

She had nodded and invited Kyousuke to join her. And so they finally managed to connect using his mother as the bridge and as a result, their relationship became less tense afterwards.

She brought her grandson to this location to play just like she did with Makoto right now. Kyousuke was exceedingly capable and organized. Unfortunately, he was  also more reserved than most boys his age because of what he had gone through. 

That was why she had resolved to help him move past those troubles, for both their sake; for him to realize he was loved and for her as a way to atone.

But that too ended up as nothing but a far-off dream. Not even a decade later, she fell ill and died not long after. The last thing she remembered before closing her eyes was the tear-filled face of her grandson, just barely entering his teenage years.

That boy…she wondered what became of him. They were wealthy enough that he wouldn't suffer financially but that was merely material troubles.  She could only have faith that she had raised him strong enough to live by himself.

She had so many regrets. So much left unfinished. She hadn’t done enough. She needed more time to make amends.

Those thoughts plagued her day after day. Thanks to Makoto's company, her regrets had diminished somewhat, and the skies seemed much less bleak. Perhaps…that was why she was still here. She wasn’t able to let go.

And that was the end of her story. It was a tale of a foolish woman who stewed in the regret of her own failures.

Makoto cried, tears running down his face

“Dear me, what has become of this lowly woman to tell such bothersome stories to a child? Forgive me.”  She said. Old habits were hard to break.

But to think that there was someone else who would cry for her death. What a precious child this was.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, I won’t cry…because he won’t either!”

Her eyebrows raised in confusion.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“He cried so that means he really liked you right? So he should get that you wouldn’t want him to cry even more.”

Though he spoke inarticulately, the strength of his words were not diminished; She had taught her grandson to love again.

Ah, that’s right. Before she died, she had told him such a thing; to be brave. All this time, she had forgotten that simple message.

However…

“I’m not sure if he would have listened to me. He was at that rambunctious age. Perhaps he was too independent.” She laughed.

 “You should trust him more, like mom and dad trust me!” Makoto pouted.

Like your parents…?

“Hohoho.” She smiled. That was where her struggles originated. She did not trust in her daughter’s decisions and paid dearly for that. Even though she cannot confirm how her grandson is doing with her own eyes…should she not trust in him?

Certainly, it was a preferable alternative to slaving away here doubting.

“Even an old dog like me can be taught new tricks.” Yes, she should believe…that was what it meant to have hope.

Slowly, she felt her ghostly form lighten even more as the burdens she held for so long melted away. And soon, she was enveloped by a bright light.

She smiled knowingly and faced the boy _“_ Makoto dear, I believe it is time for me to go. _"_ It was time for her to move on and to let go.

 _“_ Eh? Why?” He cried

“Because it appears I cannot stay here anymore. Do not worry, this is what I want.”

The old woman  “patted” his spiky hair like she always did

Tears brimmed as he was once again on the verge of crying.

“Thank you, Makoto. You-”

Before the elder  could finish,  her body had vanished completely. Leaving only streams of light where she sat for so long. Those too faded away in moments.

Makoto let out a loud wail.

_Thank you for saving me – were the words that failed to reach him._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Huh? What do you mean Fujisaki's a trap?


	5. Confession

Chihiro Fujisaki waited by the vendor, skittishly minding his own business as  friends and couples passed by. His business there? This afternoon’s occasion was a baseball game in the school’s outfield.

True to the institute’s form; the game had been turned into a grandiose event. Without getting into the arena, the outside of the baseball field was like a carnival.

Scratch that, it  _was_ a carnival - Chihiro thought as he peered at the gigantic Ferris wheel that can be seen from his position.

As for the game itself, Hope’s Peak didn't really have a formal team but rather, they had a formal  _player;_  Leon Kuwata served as one of the all-stars picked from various top schools and his performance today could be considered his yearly aptitude exam.

Chihiro was forced to dodge through the waves of people to make it to the meeting point. It wasn’t easy given his, really small stature. Most people wouldn’t even notice him, so he was worried Naegi wouldn’t either. That same Naegi happened to be over an hour late.

“Fujisaki.” The boy in question finally arrived

“Naegi, you made it. I was starting to think you weren’t coming.” He replied.

“Haha, no way I could stand a girl up. Besides, I’m the one who invited you.” Naegi smiled.

Chihiro let out an awkward laugh.

A girl...

“I don’t think the match starts for half an hour, is there something you want to do before that?” Chihiro asked.

“I’ve got it all covered, let’s check out the stalls first.” He took the lead.

The two moved around from vendor to vendor, purchasing snacks and playing random games.  

All the while, Chihiro couldn't help but consider Naegi intriguing.  Admittedly, he hadn’t been sure what to think of the lucky student some time ago. The other boy always seemed so normal, so it was hard to take notice of him in school.

N-Not that it was a bad thing, just that he was really inconspicuous. If someone walked up to him and asked what Makoto Naegi was like, he wouldn’t have an answer; it’d be like being asked to describe the qualities of a background character. Then one day...a switch just flipped - it was the difference between a dark room and a light-bulb flickering on.

Although maybe inconspicuous wasn't the right word; Kuwata and Maizono had taken an interest in him and became fast friends.

That was probably more that could be said for the luckster than for himself. Chihiro had Yasuke and Miaya but they weren't just friends, they were colleagues he had to work with so there was always a wall of formality separating them.

Or maybe that was the excuse Chihiro came up with to distance himself. H-He was always too shy to be proactive and take control.

That’s why it came as a surprise when the ordinary Naegi just strolled up to him one afternoon and made it look so easy to open up to strangers. The programmer had initially been put-off for it seemed like Naegi was making small-talk to go along with Ishimaru’s really  _ **really**_  obvious scheme.

That assumption was quickly proven wrong. Naegi always interacted in a way that made him feel important. He always paid attention to everything Chihiro had to say and  _listened_.

And…and he was always honest and straightforward so everything he did felt genuine.  Even though Naegi wasn’t much bigger than he was or more fit than he was (he was possibly less co-ordinated), he was still stronger than Chihiro in so many ways.

It invoked simultaneously comforting and anxiety-inducing reactions out of Chihiro. On one hand, it was wonderful having someone like that to be friends with.

On the other hand, it made the crippling guilt worse. he had been lying to that person, to  _everyone_ , this whole time. Ever since he was a child, people had always told him to act tougher, be rowdier like the other boys…but he just couldn’t do it. He was weak, so he chose to masquerade as a girl in order for people to stop demanding that of him. The farce had begun slow and was meant to be temporary;  he started with applying cosmetics yet soon enough he was wearing skirts and accessories like the other girls and was still doing it years later.

What would Naegi think of him if he found out?

The fear of a negative reception was too much to bear. Conversely to keep lying wasn’t any easier. Whenever Naegi complimented him on his appearance or treated him like a girl that guilt always came flooding back.

A part of Chihiro also wondered if his secret had  _already_  been exposed. Naegi had recently started engaging in discussions that dodged any topic of the opposite gender and started bringing up more masculine conversations. That’s how he ended up inviting Chihiro to Kuwata’s baseball game.

If Naegi did know, that would be mortifying…whereas if he didn’t, that meant he was getting closer to the truth. 

Chihiro would rather confess first, and that’s exactly what he planned on doing today…he hoped.

“Fujisaki, is there something bothering you?”

See, he was always perceptive about these things!

“W-why do you ask?”

“Uh, you’re fidgety. Like 'it looks as if you’re about have a panic attack’ fidgety.” Chihiro looked around and saw a couple of worried stares his way. Was he shaking that bad?

“A-Are you mad since I was late?” He said, a horrified expression on his face. "I-It's not my fault. Enoshima-san messed up my sleeping schedule one day and I've been trying to get it back on track with the medicine I take."

"That's not...wait Naegi-kun, you take sleeping pills?" He asked.

The ahoge nodded and reached into his pocket  "Never go anywhere without these."

"These" referring to a medicinal package. Chihiro looked at the brand name anxiously.

"Y-You take  _Insomnia_?" The programmer's eyes widened

"Eh, you know about it huh? It's pretty embarrassing to say but I kind of need them." Naegi didn't elaborate and something told Chihiro the boy wouldn't go into any further detail. 

Still, Insomnia of all things? They were aids to help with the most severe kinds of night terrors. Moreover, they had equally severe side-effects to the brain if used for a prolonged period...even at the lowest dosage. There was little chance that Chihiro, as someone who studied the human brain, wouldn't know this much. What would he need them for?

"Ah, I knew it! That is why you're angry." He drooped

“No It's not that.” Now wasn't the time to be sidetracked. If he couldn’t do it now, then he’d never get the courage. “T-There’s something  I need to tell you.”

“Oh boy, sounds like you’re about to get dumped, kiddo.” An older man from the stand quipped, apparently overhearing their conversation.

“Hey, she’s not even my girlfriend.” Naegi retorted with  a noticeable blush on his cheeks.

Wait, is that how this looks? The programmer hadn’t even once considered the possibility that this was a d-date.

What if Naegi was expecting something!? He couldn’t commit to that!

What if he’s disgusted by me lying this whole time?

What if, What if

A pair of hands were placed firmly, yet ever so gently, on his shoulders. Chihiro looked up to see Naegi's ever present-smile dimming somewhat.

“Let’s go somewhere quieter, okay?” Naegi said.

Chihiro agreed.

They maneuvered through the festival until they made their way to the unisex bathroom.

“Alright, nobody’ll get in the way here, you can talk to me.” He said.

“I-I.” He froze.

Come on Chihiro. Say it just like you did with Miaya.

“Hmm, is it something that’s hard to talk about? Like a secret?”

"Y-yeah"

“Okay, then  _why_  is it difficult to tell me? Is there something you’re afraid of?”

 “B-Because I’m scared you’ll hate me.”

He laughed. He was making light of this?

For the first time, Chihiro thought ill of Naegi.

“S-Sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed but you know, there isn’t a thing you could do that would make me hate you.”

Huh?

“Do you mean that?”

“Yep, so come on and tell me already. If you do, then I’ll tell you a secret only a handful of people know about.”

“Y-You have one too?”

“Everyone does, I’m no exception.”

Naegi-kun's secret...That might be worth knowing.

“The truth…I’m….”

“I didn’t quite catch that.” 

Chihiro took a deep breath and cleared his mind. It was now or never.

He didn't want it to be never.

“I’m a boy!” He screamed. Now that Chihiro thought about it, he should have made sure to check the stalls to see if anyone was here first.

“Come again?” Naegi tilted his head.

"I'm a boy, a guy, a crossdresser!"

“Oh right, that’s what I thought you said." He placed a finger on his chin and then...shrugged haphazardly. "It just took a little while to sink in.”

“Just a little while? You…Y-You mean you’re fine with it?”

“Yeah sure, your gender doesn’t really matter to me.”

“B-But aren’t you mad? I’ve been deceiving everyone!”

“Why is that anyway? I don’t really see any benefits to being a girl unless-…” He turned red. “Don’t tell me you’ve been going into the girls’ change rooms like that all this time. Dude, that’s totally voyeurism, you could get expelled!”

“NO! I would never do something like that. I always wait until I’m alone before entering a-and besides, if I did that then they’d see  _me_  undress.”

“...Good point. Sorry, I think that was my inner Leon talking...or my inner Ishimaru, I don't know which. In either case, there’s no way  _you_  would do something so shady.” He backed off.

…He should probably keep quiet about how Asahina had forced him to change with the others once. He had miraculously gone undetected…but he had also ‘seen’ quite a bit.

“When I was a child, everyone always called me weak for a boy, so I started dressing this way, so people would stop.” Chihiro explained.

“I see. You wanted to remodel yourself, so you could fit in with the crowd…heh.”             

Heh?

“While I’d say your case is a bit excessive, people do that all the time. It’s nothing something to be so ashamed of, definitely not with me.”

“You’re really alright with me being like this?” His voice was far too hopeful and needy. It disgusted him.

“Depends on what you mean. I don’t mind the charade, but I don’t think I approve you keeping it up. I mean, you didn’t change because you wanted to and now just trying to tell me about this was enough to make you cry.  Crossdressing might have worked upon a time but it’s clearly backfiring now, don’t you think?”

“Maybe but, I don’t think I can.”

Naegi patted his head softly.

“No reason for you to panic, I never said you should confess immediately.” Oh, that made him significantly less anxious. Miaya had said the same thing “I’d recommend you take slow steps and build up the courage like you did with me. Don’t worry about a thing, you’ve got me to help now so it’ll only get easier from here.”

Naegi's features turned thoughtful.

“Just thinking it’s too bad. I used to have a friend who helped people with stuff like this, but I haven’t seen her in years.”

Who could he possibly have known that helped with crises like mine at that age?

“Okay, I’ll t-try. Thank you a-and please take care of me.”  **He**  said bashfully.

“No problem. Anything for a friend.” Naegi replied.

“So what about you?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot! You have to tell me your secret now.” Chihiro pouted. Was he just tricking me? To be fair, that would be fine since he finally confessed...

“I can see ghosts.” Naegi blurted out

A moment of silence passed between them

“…Naegi, please be serious.”  Chihiro grumbled and then...huh? What-

“Heh, you got me. Truth is, I wet the bed till I was in 5th grade.” He stammered and looked away as he revealed his darkest secret.

Chihiro recovered at the reveal of the ahoge's humiliating experience and giggled. He didn’t have a hard time picturing  _that_.

“Hey, don’t laugh. It’s seriously embarrassing.” He said.

“You laughed at mine.” Chihiro argued back

“...Guess we’re both dorks then.”

“Looks that way.”

The two laughed. For Chihiro, the joy wasn’t simply out of the bad jokes but the freedom that came with letting go of his burdens somewhat.

Afterwards the two separated while Naegi went to fetch drinks; Chihiro on the other hand went to the seats in the arena. Not long after, he felt a slender pair of fingers tap shoulder. Chihiro turned to find Kirigiri looking down at him with her usual passive expression.

“Kirigiri?” He asked.

“I was looking for you.” She said.

“You were? How did you know I would even be here?”

“Coincidence. I saw you following Naegi sometime earlier. You seemed rather distressed too...did he do something?” She asked cautiously

“No, nothing bad. It was the opposite, he really helped me.”

“With what?”

“With…um…I” He wasn’t the most adept liar and right now he just didn’t want to. “I’m actually a boy.” He confessed again but a LOT quieter this time.

He hadn’t been told to do it so soon. Whether it was a spur of the moment confession or riding off the feeling from earlier,  he just felt the urge.

Without skipping a beat, Kirigiri responded “I’m not sure how to say this...so forgive me if I come across as crass - I already knew that.” She admitted, succinctly.

“WHAT!?” He shouted

She Knew!? Since When!?

“I’ve known since that time Asahina dragged you into the change rooms. I was always suspicious of how you never joined any of the other girls and well…I got my confirmation.” She didn't reveal how but there was only one way regardless.

Chihiro’s features turned a deep red and then blanched.

“I-I didn’t mean to-“

“I know you’re not the kind of person to have such ill-intentions as voyeurism.  As for why you bothered hiding your true gender…I’m sure you have your reasons for that too.”

Someone else had already known, and a girl no less. She didn’t hate him either… had he just been making a big deal out of nothing?

“So, I’m guessing Naegi is the reason you told me this?”  She inquired

How'd she know? "Sort of but I wasn’t really forced or anything. I just wanted to.” It’d be bad if she got the wrong idea. Even  _Chihiro_  had noticed Kirigiri wasn’t especially fond of Naegi.

“I see…still, you would do well to watch out for him.”

 “Kirigiri-san, do you not like Naegi?” Chihiro wondered

“It’s not dislike, it’s…” The detective trailed off and then sighed “Honestly, I’m not sure myself but I’m not one to doubt my suspicions. Naegi-kun is just too strange.”

Strange...yeah he could definitely say Naegi wasn’t ordinary “But he’s a really a good guy. He’s nice and helpful and…”

“I’m aware, Fujisaki. Personally, I think he’s a good person too, but…”

“But?”

“It’s nothing.” She said.

Before he could question further, the  **loud** pang,  identifiable as a baseball bat smacking against a highspeed pitch could be heard across the stadium. Chihiro saw Leon running fast towards from plate-plate as the ball he hit soared into the sky till it escaped everyone’s vision.

“Woooooow. Kuwata-kun is seriously awesome.” Chihiro said with awe.

“Indeed, that was certainly impressive.” Even Kirigiri thought so “But I’m surprised, I wasn’t under the impression that you were fond of these events.”

“Ah, I don’t like them specifically. I didn't really know much about baseball for one but sports in general are pretty manly and outgoing right? The atmosphere makes me excited, I think. I’m really glad Naegi-kun invited me.”

Kirigiri’s eyes narrowed as she put on her detective face.

“Fujisaki and…Kirigiri-san?” It was Naegi, who had finally returned with the snacks.

“That’ll be all, Fujisaki. I hope you two have a nice day.” The detective bid goodbye and left...in the other direction.

“Hey, wait.” Naegi called out but she wasn’t stopping.

He slumped and sighed

“I’m sure you’ll get her someday.” Chihiro pet his back in a gesture of encouragement

“Yeah, you’re right. You always gotta have hope.” He perked up.

“Yup. Oh and you missed Kuwata’s home run. He knocked the ball straight into out of the stadium, we couldn’t even see how far it flew.”

“S-Seriously? How can I be so unlucky!?”  That optimism went away fast.

Chihiro thought Kirigiri didn’t have to worry about him having a nice time. Naegi’s reactions were plenty entertaining just by itself.

Today was a good day - The programmer thought.

He was finally able to confess to someone after so long and they accepted him! He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt happier. And best of all, he and Naegi were friends,  _real_  friends without any strings attached.

So why couldn't Chihiro shake  _it_  off?

At the recesses of his mind, he wondered. Had he imagined it? That split second when he'd dismissed Naegi's joke about seeing ghosts...he must have.

There's no way  _that_  Naegi would ever look at someone with so much disgust. Much less his friends.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: There's room for more than one ahoge in this story. Matsuda just happens to be more cynical than the others.


	6. Life is Suffering and Then You Die

Chihiro confessed in detention the next week.

They had all clapped in commemoration…well, Ishimaru who seemed to have something to say but backed off when Naegi, Ikusaba and Kirigiri sent a few glares his way.

This wasn't to say Ishimaru was insensitive. In truth, Naegi admired and respected the moral compass' unwavering aptitude for justice and Naegi had no doubts that he’d celebrate Fujisaki’s coming out. Unfortunately,  Ishimaru was also missing a vital communicative component called tact; consequently, he would no doubt see Fujisaki’s conduct as a violation of school rules and remark on _that_ first.

Still, Fujisaki was probably happy. Nobody here really had any problems with him. Ishimaru proved supportive while Ikusaba and Kirigiri were indifferent. He hoped the rest of their class yielded positive results.

On his end, Kirigiri still wasn’t talking to him but he’d made progress with Ikusaba. She’d learned to smile more lately and usually around himself. Maybe it was time to take the next step...

“Hey, you guys want to go out after this?” He addressed Ikusaba and Fujisaki. There was an implied invitation to Kirigiri too even though she probably wouldn’t accept.

“Where?” Fujisaki asked

“Shopping. We’ll get you both some new clothes. My treat.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Since you’re trying to move past cross-dressing, I thought I could show you around to some guy clothes.” He suggested. “Hey Ishimaru, you come too.”

“M-Me too.” Why was he so surprised? Did he think he wasn't liked by us?

Naegi nodded happily

“I’ll…just clear my schedule. Helping classmates in need is my duty after all.” He coughed

“As for Ikusaba-san… hmm, maybe we need a girl’s touch on this I got it, we can have Kiri-” He spun to face the lilac-haired girl sitting across him.

“Don’t dream with your eyes open.” The detective didn’t even let him finish as she rejected his inevitable proposition with a smirk.

Makoto looked downcast until…“Eh? You smiled just then!”

“No I didn’t.” He blinked and the stoic mask returned in full splendor.

“You did, You totally did! Back me up on this guys.” He turned back to face the other students, who were engaged in various activities.

“I was on my laptop.” “I was cleaning my gun.” “I was tying my boots.”

“You guys…” He grumbled “Next time then.” He challenged the detective with his eyes.

“What did I just say about dreaming?”  She didn’t back down. And so the gauntlet was thrown.

Or would’ve been had the door not opened without so much as a knock.

From it, a figure with a disorderly uniform and unkempt hair (Hey, he has an ahoge too!) stepped inside. He gazed at everyone in the room with bored eyes.

 

-Chihiro Fujisaki-

 

“Chihiro, I need your expertise and we’re behind schedule on the program.”  His words carried a volume of authority.

“Yasuke? But I’m still in detention.” Fujisaki meekly replied. 

“Cancel, this is more important.”

“Couldn’t you ask Miaya to-"  Yasuke cut him off 

“Not like you'd know as you've been ditching but Gekkogahara's been busy for the past _while."_ Chihiro winced. It wasn't like he was neglecting his duties, he had to be here because of ~~Nae-~~ detention...right?

"She's playing around with some reserve course student lately. Whatever it is, it’s taking all of her time and I can’t complete the project by myself, and even if I could? You're crazy if you think I will ever pick up somebody's else's slack.”  He said 'playing' but that was his way of toning down just how important Miaya's work was. 

Yasuke only ever did as much as his part demanded on the job. Even an inch more and the neurologist would put his foot down.

“Excuse me but there’ll be no cancelling of anything going on he-” Ishimaru took a stand.

 “Yasuke Matusda, The Ultimate Neurologist.” Kirigiri interrupted him.

“Correct, as if that wasn’t obvious.”

“Then save it, Ishimaru. He outranks some members of the staff.” Kirigiri informed them. Ishimaru reluctantly grunted and then stood aside.

“It looks like we’ll have to reschedule some other time.” Fujisaki consented...and was a bit disappointed the lucky student hadn't stood up for him like the others. Now that Chihiro thought about it, Naegi hadn't said _anything_  about the intruder yet...

Chihiro faced his peer and...It didn't even look like Naegi had been paying attention to what was going on; the ahoge sat next to him with a dazed look and his hand covering the bottom half of his face

"Uh Naegi? Are you okay?" Chihiro poked him and the other boy stirred, as if being woken up from a lucid dream.

"Sorry Chihiro, I might have caught something. So what's this guy want?"

“Naegi? This is Makoto Naegi?” The neurologist said, showing faint signs of surprise.

He nodded

Matsuda brought a finger to his chin as he studied Naegi, and after a period of silence…

“Change of plans, you can play here a while longer, Chihiro.” His trained eyes switched from myself to Naegi “You, on the other hand, are coming with me.”

“Eeeeh?”  Naegi was taken aback. 

As was Chihiro. What could Yasuke want with him?

“And what could you possibly need him for?” Kirigiri voiced his thoughts and inserted herself into the conversation, if one could call it that…and why did he get the feeling she wasn’t trying to defend Naegi?

“Confidential.”

Kirigiri had no reply

Makoto hesitantly stood up, eyes drifting between everyone in the room. Ishimaru and Fujisaki were confused while Kirigiri and Ikusaba looked at the newcomer with disdain.

Seeing as he had choice, he followed Matsuda in place.

 

-Yasuke Matsuda-

 

“Matsuda-san…can I call you that?”

“Call me whatever you want.” Pretty skittish kid. Let’s just hope he has more guts than Chihiro at least. He  might actually learn something through coherent conversation that way.

“Okaaaay, am I in trouble or something?” The brat sped up to stand side-by-side and looked up at me. That must’ve been tough with those short legs since Yasuke wasn’t one to settle with other’s pace unless he was forced to.

“I dunno, are you?”

“No then. So where are we going?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.” Like he was going to tell him.

“Fiiine, next question. You and Fujisaki work together right? What’s your talent?”

“Confidential.” Such a lovely word. You didn't have to say shit else.

“I’ll guess then. It has something to do with that A.I Fujisaki’s making right?”

…Seriously, Chihiro? You blabbed to this motor-mouth?

“How much did he tell you?”

“Nothing, he kept quiet when I accidentally peeked in his laptop once. If anything, you just told me a lot more than he did.”

...Well damn, talk about falling for the oldest trick in the book.

“Since you already know that much, I’ll say that he does indeed work on  A.Is – he makes them understand conversation and function with superior admin processing. Kid’s a genius the likes I’ve never seen. Almost makes it worth putting up with Gekkogahara’s pretentious ass.”

"...Is that so?" Naegi muttered

“We’re going to your lab then, Matsuda-san?” He then asked

Matsuda stopped and turned to look at the boy “What makes you say that?”

“Con-fi-den-tial~” He grinned.

What a cheeky brat...He didn't mind a sense of humor. God knows he’s had it with putting up with stiffs and nut-jobs.

“I’ll be running some harmless tests on you and no, you can’t refuse. That’s what you signed up for when you became a student at this academy.” That was a lie. If you checked the paperwork before signing, you’d see students **can** actually object to tests AND that Hope’s Peak can perform some dangerous experiments with the subject's consent, but knowing that would involve actually _reading_ that shit. Ergo, only the intelligent 1% would know.

“Oh, Okay.”

Thank you, 99% idiots. If only everyone he dealt with was this easy.

Anyway, we were here and yes, it was a lab.

He had no intention of meeting that shit-eating grin that he just _knew_ was on the kid’s face right now. Instead he swiped a key card to gain clearance into the room.

“Strip and lie down over there.” He ordered the brat to the operating table where complex machinery stood overhead.

He moved towards his desk to boot up the computer. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, he turned back to see the kid standing there, still fully clothed and looking at him like a deer caught in the- fuck it, everyone already knows the saying.

“Was there something ambiguous in my instructions?”

“S-Strip? How much?” Red in the face and couldn’t even look him in the damn eye while he was talking.

This is why he hated dealing with kids. Second-hand embarrassment is some powerful stuff.

“Underwear or naked. I don’t care which.” Obviously meaning he should and most likely will, pick option one.

“Ok.”  He replied

With peace of mind, Yasuke took the key out of his pocket and opened the drawer on the underside of his desk. This was unrelated to the current test but he needed to make sure he had everything in order 5 times a day - _and it would just be 5_ , because Yasuke Matsuda never does more than is expected of him, it'd be too much of a hassle otherwise.

There were numerous files in there but most were meant to disguise the one of vital importance.

Satisfied with his findings. He closed the drawer and locked it afterwards.

He returned his attention to Naegi and found him lying down, barely clothed as instructed.

Good. Now he could get this pain in the ass task over with.

He drew closer to Naegi to make sure he was placed properly under the machine...and that's when his eyes widened as he saw it; A deep-jagged scar streaking down from the younger male's pectorals to the other side of his torso. Such a grotesque wound should have been fatal...was his survival due to his luck?

"C-Could you not stare? It's kind of embarrassing."  He blushed again. Wasn't that the wrong reaction to this sort of thing? In his position, Yasuke would have been annoyed really.

"My apologies. Had you told me, I would have grabbed a hospital gown for you to use."

"I didn't want to impose. It's not that big of a deal anyways." He laughed...

Hmph, everyone's got their own scarecrows. 

“Don’t move from this spot for the next 10 minutes. All you have to do is look up at the machine, that’s it.”

“Gotcha.” He nodded

This one’s a real lemming. If only a certain someone was this docile.

Matsuda exited the room and entered the one next door. This was where he could watch the proceedings and analyze the findings in his brain.

He started the machine from there and performed the scan. **The scan to see if the brainwashing took effect and altered his brainwave patterns to be like hers; that was the only point to this process.** A normal person's pattern was simple and natural, when they were at rest, brain activity was slow. When conscious and active, it sped up...problem was activity in excess creates stress the longer it goes on...however the patterns themselves are stable so long as the person is. Hers on the other hand had no set pattern and they fluctuated rapidly at all times. Needless to say, prolonged exposure to this effect means they probably won't live a very long life.

How she was still alive was a miracle...or a curse depending on who you asked and what relationship you had with her. From Yasuke's perspective? He wasn't sure.

Those class 77 morons had changed drastically from their original brainwave patterns and were clos **er** to her own. Natural, as they always sought some type of new high and tried increasingly risky activities. But they were _just_ close. As expected of that ego-maniacal bitch, she'll ensnare anyone and everyone that catches her eye in her web but she'll never so much as let them reach her feet.

He grit his teeth.

He was an idiot...still, this chore was something only he was capable of undertaking – sometimes talent and having a psycho love-interest seriously bites. One more reason why Manga protagonists can go to hell for pulling that shit off.

Several minutes passed before as the results unfolded.

He didn't expect much. He told her that brainwashing gig was unreliable right from the start. At best, it could only serve as the finishing touch after breaking whoever she used it on. That's probably why her progress with that class had been pretty slow, thankfully.

And Makoto Naegi was excessively mediocre to begin with.

What a waste of...

Yasuke furrowed his eyebrows as he took in what laid before him

...What in the world?

He double-checked his findings to be absolutely certain of their accuracy, because that’s part of the procedure.

And he tripled-checked.

Then came a fourth time and so on

Yasuke analyzed the data 10 times over. He was only required to do so twice.

\---

 

“Yasuke, you’re back..that was a lot longer than 10 minutes.” Naegi addressed him, weakly and sitting on the bed.

Yasuke?  “I don’t remember giving you permission to call me that.”

“Yes you did. You said I could call you whatever I wanted.” Naegi pouted

Damn, he did. “Most people aren’t shameless enough to go all the way with that.”

“That’s too bad. I’m rather shameless.”

“Evidently.” On the surface, they exchanged banter however, Yasuke studied every inch of the boy's form and actions.

“You alright? You look kind of sick.”

“I’m fine. Must’ve been something I ate.” He wheezed

“Must be. This test wasn’t designed to induce any kinds of  side-effects so don’t even think about suing.” This was the honest truth.

“Don’t worry about it. Did you learn anything worthwhile?” He asked and Matsuda tensed.

“Findings for the school are confidential, sorry.”

“That’s fine." He said and then continued  “So, did you learn anything worthwhile?”

“? I just said-”

Kid cut him off “That school findings are confidential, I heard. That has nothing to do with us though, don't you agree?"

The neurologist narrowed his eyes.

“You think I’m lying?” Yasuke asked cautiously.

“I dunno, aren’t you? You told me that HPA officials can carry out tests without the patient’s consent and cannot endanger them in any way. That is a lie - The rulebook all attending students receive suggests that we actually have a right to consent and that HPA cannot be held liable for damage to the student body afterwards. Of course, it’s not a very easy stipulation to find. The important bits in the contract are always glossed over, you know.” Naegi said with a wave of the hand.

In 300 pages of that junk, only a select few lines that one could count on their hands actually mean something…and he found one of the important and carefully hidden rules.

As I thought, he’s smarter than Kamukura used to be. What was his name? Hina-something?

“If you knew then why go through this farce? Or do you really have that much free-time?”

“Huh?” He tilted his head. Was that supposed to be cute?

“ How can you say that when you’re the one who made me cancel my plans with the others for this? Whatever you’re doing here is extremely important to you right? I figured I’d lend a hand.” He explained that he...offered his assistance? 

“…What makes you say that?” Creepy kid.

“You should be more careful with your words. Do you even _remember_ the first thing you said in that classroom?” Naegi commented

What I said?

**_Chihiro, I need your expertise and we’re behind schedule on the program._ **

He can’t be serious. From that?

“You said it yourself that you were behind schedule and both you and Chihiro made it clear that whatever you’re working on is fairly important…yet you ditched that just because he told you my name.  In other words, whatever _this_ is, took priority, at least for the short term. Did I get that right?” 

“… How perceptive of you” That too was no lie.

 “So what’ll you do now? Blackmail?” He asked. Whatever he’d ask, if it was too personal or threatened her in any way, then Yasuke knew full well what _he’d_ do. Makoto Naegi wouldn’t leave here alive...

“Blackmail!? Where the heck would you get that? I don’t want anything.” He responded with an incredulous expression.

“…What?”

“Yeesh, you need to pay attention to other people. I said that I wanted to lend you a hand, that’s it. **_You didn’t force me to come here.”_**

He was starting to understand why Junko was worried...and he was under the opinion she should be even more.  

“Anyway, did you find anything?”

“Nothing, you’re clean.”

“Great. Then can I leave?” Naegi said while  jumping off the bed.

“...Not yet.” Yasuke stepped up to Naegi and then searched all over the luckster with his hands, not missing a single inch of naked muscle where anything could be hidden.

"H-Hey, that tickles. Stop." Naegi reacted bashfully

"You're fine. Get out once you're done dressing." One could never be too careful.

“Matsuda-san, could I ask you something first?” The underclassman asked

“If it’s not too annoying, go ahead.”

“Is that ahoge natural?” Naegi continued, with genuine curiosity.

“The fuck is an ahoge?”

“The hair that stands up. Do you not brush it or does yours stay up regardless?”.

...The shit some people ask

“Both. I used to brush my hair but gave up when the damn thing never went down. A friend of mind said ‘it was a sign of greatness’ but she’s a moron so her word means jack.”

“I knew it! We're the same!” Naegi looked upon him with new found adoration and understanding. 

Why? Yasuke didn’t want to know.

The kid left him to his own devices and exited the room. Yasuke stared at the door a few moments longer before taking out his cell.

Now he had  to do but inform that “friend” of the test results.

He brought out his cell and called the only number he had on speed dial.

The phone rang for a few moments until the other side received it.

“Y-Yes, who…is…it!?” The voice on the other side was drowned out by intense…moaning?

For.Literal.Fuck's.Sake.

Yasuke Matsuda took the biggest sigh he'd made all week before addressing the person on the receiving end in the most eloquent fashion possible (for him).

“Tsumiki, put that bitch on the line, you tramp!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matsuda was pretty fun to write.
> 
> Next chapter: So an egg, a soldier, an idol and a ship walk into a bar...


	7. Perspective

“HIYAAAAA” He yelled while charging frontally at Pekoyama.

The swordswoman deftly evaded him and motioned to land a blow of her own. Makoto brought his weapon back and clashed with Pekoyama’s own before she could score a hit.

The bodyguard raised an eyebrow as she found Naegi difficult to budge from their position.

She was almost impressed by the boy's form...until growling noises could be heard from him, or his stomach to be precise.

Naegi  clutched it with one arm and made a pained  expression.

“That would be the 3rd time today.” Peko said.

“It was something I ate, I think.” He replied

“You should be more careful with your meals then. That aside...your reflexes have gotten better.”” A smile found its way onto her lips as she complimented him

 “Hehehe. Bet I’m  pretty good now.” He grinned.

“Hardly.” She scoffed “I’m sorry to say but any capable practitioner with a year's worth of training would be able to best you. Your growth rate is certainly notable however that is only in relation to your skill-level when you first began. Needless to say…you were an abomination.”

“Oh.” He slumped. Peko thought it was an adorable gesture. He always made it so  _easy_  to mess with him.

“At this rate, even if we practiced every day, I would graduate before you reached an acceptable level.” She continued

“Couldn’t you have sugar-coated that just a tad?” He made a circle using his fingers

“No.”

“Alright then.”

“Moreover, your offense is sorely lacking. Sometimes I wonder if you’re even trying with those lunges.”  Although his defenses were another matter entirely…

“But if I never did that, you wouldn’t do anything. You  _always_  strike second.” He pouted, like he always did.

“That is only natural; I am a tool whose only duty is to act in response to the young master’s wishes.” A weapon can only react, that was a fact.

“Not this again…Pekoyama-senpai, you’re a person.” He implored her, but...he merely had no idea that they lived completely different lives. The only one who would be able to understand her would be another tool.

“We would go in circles like this. Let’s just say a civilian such as yourself wouldn’t comprehend my circumstances and leave it at that.” She said, leaving no room for an argument they had periodically.

 “Fiiiine.” He whined

Peko picked up on the implications he'd made “Still, do you mean to say that if I chose to advance, you would never do so yourself?”

“Something like that. Attacking and hurting others isn't really my style.” He scratched his chin. Given his demeanor, this response was predictable...but also incredibly foolish.

“You won’t win any battles focusing solely on defense.”

“I know but I don’t want to anyway. I’m not practicing for  _violence_.” He stood his ground.

“A sword is ultimately a tool of violence, no matter who attempts to whitewash it. Even self-defence has an express purpose of wounding someone for self-preservation. If you think otherwise, then you have merely been wasting both your time and mine.”

“You’ve got that wrong. For two reasons.”  He declared and pointed his finger at her in an exaggerated manner. “Just learning how to defend is enough for me, I’ll win in a way that doesn’t need me to physically hurt anyone.”

“Ridiculous, that sort of ideal would never stand in a real fight. You would either be forced to attack or be killed. I've been meaning to ask for quite some time...where does all your confidence come from?” He often called himself optimistic but that wasn't the complete truth. Peko  _knew_  optimism, Nanami-san was optimistic and so is...was Yukizome-sensei. Makoto Naegi was...borderline arrogant...if not obsessive.

“Confidence? I don’t have anything like that, even supposing I didn’t believe in myself to solve problems without fighting, I’d still try.  This is just the way I am. You think the same way, too don’t you? You’re not exactly a proud individual when you consider yourself less than human, but you’d still hold your head high to be as efficient as possible.” An adequate explanation...however....

“I must admit, I cannot fault that logic without condemning myself…but that goes both ways, Makoto Naegi. You, who have disparaged my way of life, persist on following a similar principle. To insist change on the other without any intention of improving oneself is the definition of hypocrisy.”

“Guilty as charged.” He giggled

“The second.” She began

“Huh?” He blinked

“What was the second reason?”

“Oh. Because practicing is fun!”

Now it was her turn "...Huh?"

“It  _is_  fun, right?” He prodded

Was this an enjoyable activity? All her life, she'd mastered her craft for solely to serve the young master. It had never been for personal reasons...much less entertainment. Yet Naegi found this period of ours fun?

Did she enjoy their practices? No, that is absurd.

“Tools…have no concept of entertainment.”

“…” He blanched and then sighed heavily

“You can’t possibly expect me to believe-…very well, I understand.” 

Peko shot him a suspicious look. He wasn’t the type to give up easily. Actually,  _he was the type who would break before they bent._  Therefore, he must have something planned.

“Say, Peko.” Here it comes. There was that expression that creeped ever so closely to narcissism in one's ability. “You said you wouldn’t do anything unless you were ordered to, right?”

“I did. What of it?” She replied

“…Did your master force you to spar with me then?”

Pekoyama’s eyes widened.  That may have been the last thing she had expected of him

What are you implying?”

“Looks like it’s pretty fucking clear what he’s implying, why don’t you answer the kid, Peko? Hell, answer for me too while you’re at it.”  Was said in a voice Pekoyama would recognize anywhere and anytime.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu stood in the door way, a sneer evident on his lips. Was he angry? Amused? Annoyed? Who could say? She could no longer understand him after Enoshima sunk her fangs into his sanity.

He came out of the doorway, strutting immaculately until he stood in the middle of them both.  Front facing Peko and back facing Naegi. Whether the boy knew it or not, in the yakuza, this was a sign of immense disrespect and a dismissal of his presence.

Whatever the lucky student felt, Peko couldn’t discern it from his expression.

“Well, you going to answer me or are you seriously going through a rebellious phase?” The young master ordered

“I was not instructed to do any such thing, young master.” It was better to say the truth.

“Good, so why the fuck are you? “

“I have no excuses.” She had made a mistake and didn’t know why.

“…Peko, you’re not making any fucking sense. You’re just a tool; you don’t  _get_  to make excuses.” He snarled in a way that she wouldn’t have dreamed possible mere months ago.

“Or…maybe you’re defective? Now that’d be an interesting development.” A wicked smile crossed his lips.

“Now that I think about it, might be high-time I get a new sword anyway.”

Peko gasped

“Young master, I apologize-“

“I don’t need a fucking sorry, I need you to do as you’re goddamn told and nothing more! Jesus Christ Peko,  maybe I’ll just pawn you off to this kid since you seem to like him so much.”

“Young Master!?”

“Might not be a bad idea and when he gets tired of your useless ass, he can pass you off to the next sucker after he’s done using you.”

 “Fuyu-senpai, could you please be quiet?”  Monotone sharp as her blade cut through the atmosphere

All attention shifted to Makoto Naegi.

\---

Ahhh, they’re staring.

Crap, he must have messed up Kuzuryuu name. That’s what he gets for trying to drag out memories from talking to  _Natsumi_  of all people.

Nevertheless, he’d made the bed and now he had to sleep in it.

“Sorry about that but-- No, I’m not fucking sorry and I MUST have misheard that. What the fuck did you call me!?” Frustration was probably an understatement for the mobster right now.

“Fuyu-senpai.”

“That’s what I thought you said. Next question – Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m-“

The Kuzuryuu heir raised his hand and put a finger to his temple.

“Wait, I’ve got it. You’re that little cunt from the other day; the one who called me short, and now you’re pulling this shit?  You’re either ignorant, retarded or have some brass fucking balls.” He smiled.

“I don’t think I’m any of those. I’m Makoto Naegi.” He said. The smile wandered off Fuyu-senpai's features and was replaced with a perplexed one.

“Naegi…Where have I heard that name?” He muttered, deep in thought.

“Young master, perhaps this is not the place for this discussion.”

“Peko shut the fuck up, I’m trying to think.” He raised a hand to silence her.

…

“I knew it! You’re the shit that’s got Junko flipping out because the brainwashing fucked up!” He sunk to the floor laughing, banging his fists on the tiles.

Makoto didn’t miss the mortified look on Pekoyama’s features

Brainwashing?

“Uh, you’re welcome, I guess. But what was that about brainwashing?” He wasn't brainwashed, stuff like that didn't happen in real life.  Of course not, he'd know better than anyone if he was behaving differently...r-right?

Naegi broke out into a cold sweat and placed a hand onto his forehead

The lucky student shook his head and dismissed the thought.

Just calm down. If I couldn't trust my own thoughts, then what could be trusted to start with.

Brainwashing? Ridiculous...

“Figure it out yourself. Or not. I don’t give a crap.” Kuzuryuu stood back up.

 

-Peko Pekoyama-

 

“Oh man, I was thinking of gutting you right this second but holy shit, I haven’t had a good laugh like that in a while. Thanks.” The master spoke, brashly.

“Senpai…that was a pretty good line you gave, huh.”

...She had no idea what Naegi  referred to and judging from the young master's confusion, neither did he.

“While I disapprove of the content of exactly what was said, your timing on the other hand, was pretty good.” He elaborated

“What the fuck are you talking about?” The master said.

“Were you waiting out there for an opening to enter the conversation? It just felt so well-executed, I couldn’t take it for coincidence.”

A pregnant pause filled the room.

What an audacious accusation. 

“You weirdo, who calls someone out like that?  I can’t tell if you’re better or worse than  _Komaeda_  but then again, that idiot’s never done a thing I thought was funny.”

“You didn’t answer the question.” Naegi pressed

“What does it fucking matter if I did?”...He admitted it? He was watching us? For how long?

“A  ‘yes’ then…well, it doesn’t really matter. I’m just wondering how long you’ve been there. I’d feel bad if you needed something from Peko and I was getting in the way. I’d feel even worse if this wasn’t the first time around and I just didn’t notice.”

“…Don't call her that." The young master started " And What are you saying? That I have nothing better to do than watch you shits play stick fight like some creep everyday?”

Naegi just smiled. Even though she was grateful he had come to her defense, it took a considerable amount of effort to not slap that smug grin off his face. It was  _that_  provocative.

“Nothing like that, though that’s quite the conclusion to jump to. It’d be funny if that  _was_  the truth, Peko would mean quite a lot to you to creep like that, definitely more than should be expected of a defective property you planned to toss out like sloppy seconds.”

“Don’t fucking call her that!” The young master sneered and would have reached for Naegi had Peko not reacted on instinct and kept him in place .

Peko’s eyes widened in surprise to see him defending her. She had thought that side of the young master gone.

Naegi said nothing and then “Sorry, my bad.”

His questions appear random but having spent some time with the boy, Peko felt something off. Had he intentionally been trying to humiliate and back the young master into a corner? If so, his countenance didn’t suggest any malicious intent...but she could see no other reason.

“Never mind. Peko, we have fish to fry.” Fuyuhiko calmed down.

“…Are you referring to Sato?” Naegi took a shot in the dark. One that met a scrupulous reception from his seniors.

“What do you know?” 

“That she killed your sister.” He said the forbidden words casually and without reservation.

 “You’re the kind of honest idiot that just says whatever comes to their heads, aren’t you?” The young master sighed “I don’t know how you found that out and honestly I don’t even care, just as long as you don’t get in my way.”

“That all depends on your answer. I can’t let you hurt anyone.” Naegi...challenged him?

“…Am I the one going nuts or are you seriously spouting the craziest shit? What do you mean,  _you won’t let me_?”

“Nobody will gain anything from you killing her. That’s pointless violence. An eye-for-an-eye is just a waste, you’d be better off just moving on.”

“And let that whore get away with what she did to my sister!? You think she’d be fucking fine about that!?”

Makoto didn’t reply to that…because he knew the young master was absolutely right. Justice was the law of the world. If you did harm to others, prepare for the same to be done onto you.

Ironically, Peko probably knew that Natsumi-san had been the instigator and the one who received justice. Nevertheless...she was the young master's sister.

“Whether or not she would approve isn’t the issue, it’s that you’re dragging yourself and everyone involved down with her. There are better ways that don’t involve violence; just let Sato turn herself in.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You think I’ll hand over to the cops!? Fuck no and Fuck you! That bitch is mine.” That short period of calm had been blown away before the storm.

“Jesus fucking Christ. Peko. You’ve been flirting with the enemy!” He said.

“I wasn’t aware he had that knowledge.”

“...You’ve got to be shitting me..." He looked ready to berate her further before his eyes widened and he turned to face Naegi. An equally smug look on his own features. "Now I get it, you’ve been trying to get at Peko to get at me, right? That’d be some pretty good thinking…if I actually gave a damn about her opinion.”

She flinched

“Wrong, Pekoyama was her own case. I would have come around to you regardless.”

“You really think you have a shot at me?”

“What I think doesn’t matter, I’ll do it no matter what.”

The master  laughed “This kid’s great.  Fine I’ll set this slide this time, now buzz off. I need to have a word with my tool here.”

“I told you she’s not a`”

“That is enough, Makoto Naegi.” It was time to take a stand. If Naegi said anymore, things would not end well.

“Anymore insolence against the young master and you will have me to face.”

“But” He spluttered

The shinai came at him and stopped mere inches from his face with speeds he’d never seen during practice.

“Do I make myself clear?” Peko threatened

 “Crystal.” Naegi said, reluctantly and dropped the shinai he'd been holding unceremoniously onto the ground.

As expected, Naegi wasn't the sort to like losing.

That also meant he was also the type who just  _had_  get the last word in.

 “How’s Enoshima-san doing?” The ahoge asked...normally. No trace of anger or indignation present...just curiosity.

“A little too good if you ask me, why?” The young master replied, and she agreed.

She would prefer if Enoshima had been run over by a truck.

“Glad to hear it…could you tell her to come back to class soon. Things aren’t as lively without her and I’m pretty sure the others are starting to worry a bit.” Naegi said with a warm smile.

…

“Alright I will, might be worth it just to see her reaction, now piss off.”

And so he did. Peko was surprised Naegi had deferred so easily and left. She was even more perplexed that he left without a single injury.

“You let him off quite easily, young master.”

“I’ve never disliked gutsy idiots like that. They can be pretty fun for the short time they stick around before they get squashed. They’re definitely worth more in spades than tools who only know how to do as they’re fucking told." Nowadays, he could never do without the backhanded comments.

"Hurry and clean up. We got a meeting to get to and then we get planning. Junko held up her end of the bargain and gave us pictures catching that bitch red handed. Now we have the evidence."

That was the price he paid his soul for. Enoshima preyed on the young master's weakness and desire to seek revenge. Oddly enough, Peko did not blame Enoshima for this particular instance. The fault lied with herself for not being able to help the young master in any meaningful way.

"We’ll have that Sato bitch six feet under by the end of the week and depending on how it goes? Koizumi might just join her.”

Peko frowned. So Koizumi would be involved as well, despite being no more than an unfortunate bystander? This was what that kind master had been reduced to?

She shook her head and stepped over to the shinai lying on the ground and was puzzled by what she saw at close proximity. A deep indent had planted itself on the hilt to the extent that it appeared to have been crushed by the user’s grip.

Makoto Naegi…who are you?

 ---

“Hey, Kirigiri-san,  could you give her a little help?” Makoto said, at the closest shopping mall to the school. The 'delinquents' or so he'd mockingly termed their group had all come for the day as they planned earlier. 

At this moment, Ikusaba was trying on outfits and failing spectacularly.

“Like I’ve been  _trying_  to tell you, fashion isn’t my expertise.” Kirigiri frowned.

“You clean up nicely though.”

If Kyouko Kirigiri was the type to blush, she might have just then “…That’s my style, I’m not updated on the latest trends to advice people on what works for them.”

“Okay, I sorta maybe get that but if that’s true…why are you here then? Are you buying something?”

 “Speak up if I’m being a nuisance. I’ll be sure to leave immediately.” She glared at him

“No, I was just curious!” He waved his hands in defense “Glad to have you join us.”

“Hmph.” 

Still got a way to go.

He felt a tap from behind him and turned to face a discouraged Mukuro Ikusaba. “Naegi, could you pick something out for me? I feel out of place here, this is usually Junko’s thing.”

“I’m not exactly an expert either. Wouldn’t Fujisaki be a better choice?”

“If you think something looks good then that’s fine with me.”

It was a sweet thought but horribly misplaced. “No, you’re not getting it. Everyone tells me my fashion sense is  ** _terrible_** , I can’t help you.”

She frowned.

And Kirigiri shook her head.

Did he do something wrong?

“Do my eyes and ears deceive me or is Makoto Naegi actually trying to give someone fashion advice?” His ears puckered at the familiar voice

“Maizono-san!" He nearly yelled until he noticed she was dressed up in a peculiar and obfuscating attire. The ultimate idol wore sunglasses and a fashionable cap to disguise her identity. 

“Yup, I got back just the other day, but I was too beat to go anywhere. Leon told me where to find you, so I thought I’d tag along. So what’s going on here?” 

“Um, I’m not quite sure.” Makoto said.

The one who knows all answered for him.

“We’re looking for clothes for Ikusaba to wear. She sought Naegi’s advice and said that anything he chose was acceptable to her. Naegi refused due to his inexperience and here we are.” The detective and the idol shared a depressed look, then Maizono turned to look at him and then to Ikusaba.

“I see I see. It can’t be helped since it’s you we’re talking about, Naegi.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He wondered

She ignored him “Ikusaba-san come over here. I’m no substitute for Enoshima-san but let me show you the ropes.” Maizono took the soldier's gloved hand and moved towards the change rooms.

“But”

“Don’t worry. We’ll have Naegi be the final judge, isn’t that right Naegi?” She gave him an unsettling smile

“But-“

“Isnt.That.Right.Naegi?” An unsettling smile indeed.

“Crystal clear.” He gulped.

All the while Kirigiri watched their interaction

“It’s becoming clearer by the minute.” She said.

\---

Maizono  had Ikusaba coming in and out of the change rooms like clockwork - - alternating between different outfits each time. It happened enough to make his eyes spin.

Naegi had been made into the “judge” of what was acceptable and what wasn’t.  At least, that was the idea Maizono had proposed, however he didn’t have that much agency in reality. Why? Because whenever Ikusaba came out to model in front of him, Maizono stood behind her far enough where the freckled girl wouldn’t block or notice her gestures of approval/declination.

Simply put, his only worth was to shadow the idol's thoughts

There were odd times when  _he_  thought Ikusaba looked great and tried voicing his opinion...but the look the idol gave him quickly caused him to retreat into his shell; it was a smile that dared him to mess up and pay the consequences.

 Geez, why even make him do this if she was just going to have the final say in the end?

Disregarding that bit, he wasn’t the only one who was having trouble. While Ikusaba-san had initially put on a brave face of indifference, it was apparent she was becoming increasingly flustered and overwhelmed with the amount of attention Maizono was giving her

He chuckled as in the last few minutes, Ikusaba’s expressions had shifted from apprehension to abject fear as she all but begged him for rescue with her eyes.

“Maizono-san, isn’t it time for a break? Otherwise  _she’ll_  be the one who breaks.”

“Aaaw, I wasn’t done playing wit- I mean,  _helping_  her yet.” He frowned at Maizono's trying to play off what was now obviously a troll attempt. “Fine, take two, everyone.” She said.

Naegi and Ikusaba sighed. The first of exasperation and the other of relief

“Sorry about that, Maizono-san can get really overzealous when she takes a sudden interest in people.”

“...I don’t think someone like that could ever find me interesting.” Ikusaba said. Naegi didn't really get it.

“Why not?”

“Because Junko said the only thing that could ever find me appealing was a zoologist, or a skunk.”

...

“…You sisters are something else. Ever think she might be wrong?”

“Junko is never wrong.” It was a statement that shut down any and all refutation.

“…Okay, what about if Enoshima was joking? Are you sure it was meant to be taken literally?”

“Maybe it was? Junko also says I’m slow on the uptake too and I don’t really understand her sense of humor.”

“I don’t think anyone can fault you there.” He sighed

“Perhaps...however I'm still skeptical. We're complete opposites; she's an idol loved by everyone...while I'm just a killer to be hated."

Naegi wasn't fond of pessimism.

“Stuff that happened in the past doesn’t matter now...though I kind of hope you dropped that habit…You HAVE dropped it, right?”

 

-Mukuro Ikusaba-

 

“I haven’t killed anyone since I left Fenrir. Out there, deaths are a necessary casualty but here, it’s just murder.” She said

“Is there a difference?”

“Yes." It is a lot harder to get away with murder.

“If you say so...still, you shouldn’t think you’re beneath Maizono for that. I mean, you’re both ultimates at the academy  _and_   you have talents she doesn’t.  Not to mention you’re also…er” He stopped himself, blushing.

“We’re both what?”

“Never mind.”

How strange..."Thank you."

Change for her was probably impossible, she had gone too far for too long…however, Naegi-kun had faith in her potential. Something Junko had never said to her.  Even if it wasn’t possible, she could at least try.

And this wasn’t the first time, whenever she was next to him, she felt like a different, better person – someone who could aspire to be more than just a trained killer. The optimism and cheer he exuded were infectious. Maybe that’s why she always felt these goosebumps around him.

Some weeks ago, she never would have imagined shopping for clothes, much less with people that weren’t Junko and not carrying nearly a dozen bags around by herself. 

To say she was grateful was an understatement. Mukuro felt a lot more for him than that.

She blushed as she took in the luckster's cute appearance...and then zero'd in on something that had been bugging her for some time.

“Naegi, did something happen to your hand?" It was bandaged, and it wasn't like that yesterday

“Oh this…" He began and then stopped abruptly. "I had a run-in with Fuyuhiko yesterday and things turned out like this.”

“He hurt you?” She seethed

“No, it was more complicated than that.”

“You should be more careful Naegi, those guys are very dangerous.” More than he knew, Kuzuryuu could kill him at a moment’s notice.

“Yeah, I’ll try to be more careful about what I say next time, I don’t want to accidentally set him off.”

“Next time? Why  are you assuming there’ll be a next?”

“Because I have to convince him about something. I can’t really talk about it, sorry.”

Could he be referring to Kuzuryuu's vendetta? With the sort of person Naegi was, that was very believable. But Kuzuryuu wasn’t like some of the other members of the brainwashed class. She couldn’t tell Negi to back off without betraying her own position – plus she was supposed to be monitoring him.

She would have to watch over him silently…and Junko never said she couldn’t protect him from the shadows.

"Naegi!" The small Fujisaki interrupted them and clung to Naegi's arm.

Mukuro frowned deeply at the gesture.

"You said you'd help me pick out clothes too...and I think Ishimaru's lost it with all the variety in front of him."

"Hehehe, alright, I'll be over in a minute."

This was annoying. Fujisaki was just as attached to him as she was...if not moreso. Just what she needed, another rival.

But that wasn't as important right now as Naegi's safety. If Kuzuryuu hurt Naegi in any way, then she would...she would

"Ikusaba-san? Are you angry?" She snapped out of her rage and saw the object of her affection stare at her half-way worried and half-way afraid.

"No. I just remembered something unpleasant. Don't worry about it." Naegi didn't seem to buy her excuse but he didn't prod further either.

Mukuro mentally sighed.

Change really is difficult.

-Sayaka Maizono-

 

Kirigiri-san was awfully transparent staring (or was she glaring?) at Naegi. The detective almost missed her as the idol came into close proximity.

“Naegi sure is a funny guy, don’t you think?” Sayaka said.  This may have been their first private conversation. She needed to leave a good impression. She had always thought the detective adorable in the same vein as a cute little sister putting up a tough front despite her naivete.

“No matter how I look at it, he’s just a player who shifts indiscriminately from one person to the other. That or an idiot.” Harsh...but not entirely off the mark.

“Haha, that’s definitely one way to look at it. You really don’t like him, why is that?” Sayaka noticed details fast, it was a necessary skill to survive in "the business."

“Fujisaki asked me the same thing. I don’t hate him but there’s something I can’t explain about him that puts me on edge.” 

“Like your instincts?”

“If that was the case then I’d have to apologize to him. I do my best to  _not_  rely on my instincts and would rather trust in observable evidence. The latter is far more reliable.” Kirigiri said, sagely.

“You’re a kind person, Kirigiri-san.” Almost too kind, despite her cold demeanor.

“On what basis?”

“You admitted to not wanting to dislike Naegi based on a trivial reason. I think an unkind person wouldn’t even care for a reason to mistreat others.” She would know.

“That’s a stretch.”

“Maaaybe~" Sayaka said, playfully.

They observed the smaller boy stuttering, red as a cherry from something he had apparently said. Ikusaba wasn’t faring much better herself.

A chuckle escaped Kirigiri's lips at the sight.

“They suit each other.” The detective said

“…So that’s how you see it." Sayaka supposed that was one perspective.

“I was under the impression you harbored some feelings for Naegi, given how close the two of you are.” Kirigiri made quite the assertion and once again, it wasn't entirely wrong.

“I’m not sure myself anymore. Maybe I do… after all, he knows a lot about me, and I him, or maybe I’ve just given up. Either way, it probably wouldn’t work out with my career and all.”

“Oh? In that case, you should be able to confirm this feeling I have of him, assuming you’re telling the truth.” Is that much skepticism good for her health? Probably not...but then again, Sayaka didn't think much better of herself.

“Tutut. I can’t be an idol if I couldn’t keep my own fan/friend’s secrets. You’ll have to wring that information out of someone else, Kirigiri-san.” Sayaka said.

...Wait, there's an idea “But you’re my friend too, Kirigiri, so maybe I can give you a little hint~. Well, do you want it?”

“…I’m not going to demean myself by begging...” Kirigiri made a weak retort. Like moth to flame...or a dog to steak, she couldn't resist it.

“Is that right? That’s just too bad then.  _Too bad_.” Sayaka lamented, dramatically.

“If you would let me  _finish_  – I was going to say that it would greatly alleviate my worries if you were to kindly offer your welcome assistance.”

“Weeell ,if you put it that way, I have to respond, but it’ll be in the form of a story. You alright with that?”

Kirigiri nodded

“It happened the first time I met Naegi in middle-school…though we weren’t really acquainted back then. There was a large crane that had its wing injured on the school grounds. Nobody else knew what to do so all the other kids scrammed or stared from afar, the crane lashing out at anyone who came near it probably hadn't helped the issue. The teacher’s were too afraid to touch it as well but that was more out of concern for violating possible laws.”

Poor thing, how unlucky.

“Then came Naegi with medical supplies, who then proceeded to treat the crane on-site and then carried it away. The whole time, it was pecking at his head, probably afraid of him damaging its wing any further.” She giggled.

Surprisingly, Kirigiri did too. "Admittedly, that sounded hilarious. It was safe to say that Naegi-kun was a klutz even back then, but it was quite endearing of him nonetheless."

Sayaka agreed.

“Afterwards, my instincts told me Naegi was different from the others. I always wanted to speak with him...too bad never got the chance until we hit it off here at Hope’s Peak. We got to know each other quite a lot." The duo found out both been interested in the other based on prior preconceived notions .only, neither of them really held up to the standards we set of the other.

"I asked him why he thought him to help that unfriendly crane and you know what he told me?” 

_Oh you saw that? Hehehe, birds can’t understand humans, so it probably thought I was attacking it and placing something weird on its wing. Although, I thought that if I left the crane alone, it could get hurt even worse than it already was, so I decided to treat it, even if it would hate me._

“Cool huh? It was just as I expected, he was special compared to everyone else.”

“I’m sorry but where is the hint in this story?” Kirigiri asked.

“Kirigiri, you shouldn’t doubt instinct.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Good...now then. Onto more important things.

“Soooo Kirigiri, where does Naegi score in your eyes?” Sayaka said, coyly

“Excuse me?” Kirigiri raised an eyebrow

“You called him a player, remember? Soooo, how does he do?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I think I deserve at least one answer after helping you out.” 

Kirigiri frowned deeply at this. The back and forth continued for quite some time. Kirigiri retreated but Sayaka always had the edge

“He gets a 60.” The detective admitted.

A wry smile crossed Sayaka's features as she said. “ A 60 is a passing grade.”

“I don’t have time for this.” With a flick of her hair, the great detective Kyouko Kirigiri had conceded gracefully.

Sayaka watched the purple clad girl leave with a smile on her face.

Now by herself, the idol reflected on an arbitrary yet so deeply amusing comment the detective had made.

"'Endearing' she says"  Sayaka Maizono smirked derisively

_Just as I thought, Kyouko-chan really is too cute._

\---

Naegi complained to himself as he walked back to the dorms...alone after he'd separated from the others. Why?

Because

“ _Naegi, hurry up and pay for Ikusaba’s clothes already.” Maizono "ordered"_

_“WHAT!?” He yelled._

_“What do you mean ‘what?’. Don’t tell me you were going to make her pay after sending the invitation.”_

_“B-but, I wasn’t expecting her to get that many.” He stared at the bags Ikusaba held in fear._

_“Whining is very unmanly, Makoto Naegi.” Maizono was taking no for an answer._

_“Fiiiine.” He groaned, weeping for his wallet._

Meals were going to be tight for the next month. Not that he minded too much after the stomach aches he'd been getting. 

 That was when he felt something bump into him and latch onto him.

The shocked luckster turned to see Maizono smiling at him.

“M-Maizono-san, I didn’t notice it was you…are you going this way too?” He said, red in the face

“Something like that…” The camouflaged idol hadn't let go of his arm “Say, Makoto. Ikusaba-san sure was cute today, don’t you think?  I was surprised she had it in her to make all those  _expressions_  and go along with everyone…was that your doing?”

“A little. I think she always had that potential though, I just helped bring it out a bit.” He said. Both of them now walking down the crowded street... and did he mention that she still hadn't let go of him? 

“Mmhmm. So what’ll you do now that she likes you?”

“Huh?  Is there a problem with being liked?”

“Naegi-kun, I’ll hit you.” She threatened.

“Eeeeh?  What’d I do?”

“You? Nothing,” She finally let go of his arm, only to punch him. It stung quite a bit. “You know full well what I’m talking about, Makoto.”

Geez

“You don’t have to get violent, I really don’t know what you mean without assuming things.”

“She  _likes_  you, jerk. Don’t play dense with me.”

“Was it really something like that?”

“Duh! Now...how will you answer her feelings, I wonder?”

“You know I’m not good at this…"

“What a serious answer, even though I was just teasing. There's no way you two could  _really_  hit it off.”

“Sayakaaaaa”

“Then again, it doesn't really matter...since I know you’d make her happy in the end. That’s all that matters, right?”

“…Yeah, hehe." Naegi laughed awkwardly

“That’s what I thought you’d say, so I guess you won’t mind when I do this, Makoto.” The idol cupped the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss

Makoto's mind froze for an instant before stepping back.

“S-Sayaka!” He said, eyes darting to see if anyone had seen them. Surely they had as quite a few passersby snickered at him. Some saying that tedious "ah youth" line that only embarrassed him further.

“Hm?” She played innocent.

“Y-You can’t just do that. Even if you’re wearing a disguise, we’re still in public. Who knows what could have happened if you got caught!”

“What if I don’t mind getting caught?” She was teasing him again.

“You don’t mean that. Your dream is everything to you.”

“Not  _everything_. You’re important too…so what if I choose to have both. All I have to do is not get caught."

“The stress of sneaking around and rejecting me in front of the public would become too much. You’d never be happy that way – in fact, you’d hate yourself.”

“And you know what makes me happy?”

“Course I do,  I’m your best friend and I care about you.”

“...Are you sure about that? Do you really mean that?"

Makoto visibly winced as if she'd stabbed him.

“I’m sorry…No, I’m not – but, it would be a lot easier if you just said you didn’t like me.” Sayaka said, desperately.

“That’d be lying. I  _do_  like you.” He stared at her with those innocent blue eyes and that's when she knew...

Maizono  released a sigh that sounded like a mix of exasperation and resignation.

“I don’t know what came over me. Maybe I really was jealous of Ikusaba-san“

“It’s my fault…”

“It is. Be sure to make it up to me.”

“Will do but it can’t involve money, I think I’m flat broke now.”

They laughed.

“Sayaka…sorry and thank you.”

“For?” 

“Sorry for not being the person you wanted me to be…and thanks for putting up with me anyway.”

“No problem. Sorry for not being a uh…what was it you thought I was when we met? A doll?”

“Don’t bring that up!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Miaya Gekkogahara does improv.


	8. Breakthrough/Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi decides playtime is over.

Miaya Gekkougahara glided through the halls on an automated wheelchair, sporting a green jacket and a red scarf as if it was knee-deep in winter. She had just finished a session with Sato, one of her most “promising” patients in recent weeks.

Now while she thought Sato promising, that was a purely relative description. The poor girl had been a wreck on the first session - Sato scheduling a meeting by itself had been a surprise to Miaya, for the services of the ultimate therapist weren’t exactly easy to afford for a reserve course student; they didn’t have the insurance that came with acceptance into the main course.

It all became clear when Sato confessed to the murder of Natsumi Kuzuryuu. It was a tragedy that had reached even Miaya’s ears some time ago and had quickly died down without a killer being found. Naturally, Miaya didn’t fly off the handle at the testimony; she had dealt with her share of…societal deviants in the past and had learned quickly that matters such as hers were to be handled with the utmost care and delicacy. Fortunately, Sato had been easy to comfort, especially due to her show of remorse. She even had thoughts of turning herself in… which generally implied she had someone supporting her along the way. In Miaya's experience, most patients don’t simply come out so casually (relative) with their struggles unless they have positive backing from their families and/or peers.

Considering the victim was a student at HPA, it was natural that Sato would turn to Miaya first, which the therapist believed was the best outcome for everyone involved. Miaya’s testimony had done wonders for patients in the past and had them leave off with significantly less harsh punishments if they conveyed signs of remorse and improvement. Secondly, this was a matter Hope’s Peak wouldn’t want released to the public, meaning Sato might get off even easier than she thinks.

Onto the present situation though...

Miaya positioned herself in front of the laboratory door and stretched over to swipe the handle with a key-card. A chink sound came a moment later and was followed by the door opening automatically.

She'd been frequently absent from the lab due to her main job. The projects she had to work on here  _were_ still important.

It was almost depressing thinking about the workload that’s probably been built up over these months. Here’s hoping Mr. Grumpy Pants a.k.a Yasuke doesn’t fly off the handle at her on account of neglecting her duties.

“Good afternoon.” She announced her presence. The sound however did not come from her but from a pink bunny trapped in the digital confines of her laptop. All she had to do was type in the text and the A.I bunny termed “Usami” would respond - - courtesy of her dear expert programmer/friend, Chihiro Fujisaki.  

“Miaya, it’s been a while.” He replied with a surprising amount of vigor. It was so nice hearing that cute voice again.

She turned to face her other cohort who didn’t bother to respond. Usually he’d just be sitting around reading manga but this time he was bustling all over his workspace.

Whatever~ She didn’t need him anyway.

“Did something good happen today? You sound so happy.” Miaya returned her attention to Chihiro, who gazed back, confusedly.

“Eh? If anything today has really been stressful. I’m behind schedule now that detention is over with. Currently I’m trying to find a model for the New World Program’s A.I.”

So it was a less-than-good-day…why the heck was he so cheerful then? Chihiro is usually more reserved. It took ages for him to confess his gender for example, even though it was super obvious to her.

Then again, she had an unfair advantage in dealing with gender-confused patients in the past. 

Maybe…Maybe he’d found a girlfriend (boyfriend?).  Miaya could never pass up a potential opportunity to bully her cute underclassman…who she now noticed  _was wearing pants._

Now that was really curious

“Chi...was detention fun?” 

“Huh? Yeah, it was. How could you tell?” 

“You’re wearing pants. You NEVER wear pants!”

“Oh that’s because Nae-”

“Gekkogahara! Fujisaki! Did anyone take something from my desk!?” The usually cool Yasuke,  _yelled_.

Both of his associates shook their heads.

“God fucking dammit!” How uncharacteristic of him.

“Did ya lose something?” The bunny spoke.

“…A file. A really important file. And I don’t lose anything (especially that!), meaning  _someone_  must have taken it.”

“This sounds a bit serious. Our work isn’t something that should leave this room. Should we call campus police?”  Gekkogahara suggested.

“No…we can’t.”

As expected. What Yasuke worked on was more confidential than her own and closer to Chihiro’s. He was under the direct frame of the school board. She presumed whatever he lost must be of incredible value and secrecy if even security wasn’t allowed to know about it.

His problem though. That cocky jerk needed a few pegs knocked down anyway.

“Oi, Chihiro. The kid from that friendship circle-jerk you were at….Naegi whatever. Did you see him acting suspicious?”

“Y-You think Naegi stole it? N-No way, he’d never do something like stealing! And why would he even be allowed here?” Chihiro argued back

The programmer's words had sent Miaya for a trip down memory lane.

Naegi…what a nostalgic name. Come to think of it, he would be the same age as Chihiro too.

“…Shit, you might be right. He wasn't clothed, and I searched everywhere on him...he couldn't have taken it.”

Chihiro and Miaya froze and then red tinted chaos matching the color of Miaya’s scarf, ensued.

“Yasuke, you had that kind of taste!?” “N-Naked!? What were you two doing in here!?” Miaya and Chihiro bulldozed Yasuke respectively

“Shut up, morons! I was running tests.” The older man scratched his forehead.

“Tests? What kind of tests?” Miaya asked. What kind of test could this Naegi have signed up for and made Yasuke of all people accept? Especially during such a busy period…

“…I was looking for an adequate subject to model for Chihiro’s A.I, since he was too ‘busy’ to do it himself. He replied”

What?  Yasuke Matsuda doing ANYTHING for someone else, for free? That’s obviously a lie, does he really think we’ll buy that?

“Why didn’t you tell me that sooner? I’ve been wasting time searching the entire student database for prospects!” Chihiro fumed

Ah, that sweet summer child couldn't doubt a con-artist if they requested a million for charity on the spot.

Miaya wasn't nearly so naive.

“Those tests needed you to strip him?” Miaya addressed the neurologist

“Thought I might as well go all the way and avoid any problems out of negligence. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do.” He shrugged and dodged the question.

 “Actually both of you get out.” He continued.

“Why?” His cohorts said simultaneously.

“I’ll be looking for this file everywhere and you’re in the way. Sorry about this but we’ll have to call it a day for now. Go do something fun for a change.”

Yasuke’s telling  _us_  to slack off?  Whatever’s in that file has to be the real-deal.

“Oh well. Since Naegi’s already been chosen as the model, I don’t have as much work to do as I thought.” Chihiro closed his laptop and put the device to his chest, smiling to himself as he did.

There it was again, that overwhelmingly positive aura!

He must think highly of this Naegi…could it be the same boy from back then? Couldn’t hurt to ask.

The duo ventured through the empty halls. The school day was over and there were so very few main course students relative to the size of the building to begin with, therefore empty space was normally the case.

“Chii, what were you going to say before Yasuke interrupted us?”

“Uh, my pants, right? That’d because…well, I’ve decided to stop dressing up as a girl and start everything over. I’ve already confessed to some of my classmates.”

Come again?

“You mean you’ve told others? How many?” Miaya asked cautiously

“4. I plan on telling the rest of my classmates before the month is over too.”

FOUR!? How did he progress so much, so fast?

“That’s quite a lot…but aren’t you being a little too hasty?”

He gave a concerned expression “Am I?”

“Well, it took you quite a few months just to tell me and you were a nervous wreck trying to get it out, remember?” She chuckled at the memory.

“Don’t remind me.” He groaned and covered his face in embarrassment.

“It’s great that you’ve developed enough courage to even  _think_  about that, but you shouldn’t advance too quickly. The child who runs three times as fast is three times as likely to trip over themselves….or so they say.”

Furthermore, its unlikely that everyone he tells will be so accommodating. Chihiro was far too sensitive to deal with rejection properly – if that did happen, he would relapse into major insecurity and may spiral into depression. Afterwards It would take ages for him to recover...that’s why she prescribed a slow process of  opening up by getting closer and strengthening bonds with others– that way, they are less likely to disapprove of him. And from what Miaya had heard, "bonds" and "closeness" was the last thing she'd use to describe Class 78.

That was why Chihiro managing success with four people already was an incredible feat. Miaya had expected over a year to pass before he got to this point. What changed exactly?

“That’s just it, Miaya. It’s  _fine_  if I trip…” He smiled with eerie glee.

Miaya analyzed his additional features. A blush spread through Chihiro’s cheeks, his eyes glazed over, staring off far into the distance as if reminiscing over a pleasant dream and had an almost salivating smile as he said

“…because Naegi is there to catch me.”

If she could compare it to anything, his expression was like that of a budding adolescent girl thinking of her prince on a white horse. In almost any other case, Miaya would have thought it simply adorable like everything else about the programmer. But there was something about this development that made her feel uneasy.

Now that Miaya thought about it…hadn’t Chihiro stood for Naegi to Yasuke a few moments ago? He was always passive at the neurologist’s insults or dissatisfaction. Miaya had been too caught up in her memories to take note, but now that she was consciously aware…

“Chihiro, could you tell me what this Naegi is like?”

“He’s amazing.” Not the answer she was looking for

“Okay, let’s try again. I’ll be asking you a few questions and you just have to respond  _honestly_. By the way, I’m speaking professionally here.” There were times when business needed to be separated from friendship and times where they were necessarily overlapped to achieve results. This case needed her to act the former part.

“I-I got it.” He replied skittishly, acknowledging the change in tone

“Is Naegi intelligent, as in compared to us?” The first question.

“Not very likely. He’s about average, I think.”

She took notes on her laptop.

Average...

“Is he athletically domineering?”

“Pfft-.” Chihiro’s shoulders shook as he brought a hand to his mouth. His poor attempt at holding back laughter was supposedly his answer.

I’ll take that as a no. Physical coercion very unlikely.

"Would you say Naegi is popular?” She hadn’t heard much of him, but you could never be too sure.

“Uh, I’m not really sure…at least I don’t think so. He barely talked to anyone except Maizono-san and Kuwata-kun until a little while ago.”

Hmm. The ultimate baseball star and the ultimate pop sensation. The first from what I hear is easy-going and the second is universally likable.  Anyone could be friends with such people if they tried. Tentatively speaking, she would have to (if prematurely) conclude he was socially withdrawn.

“Oh but I think Naegi and Kuwata are both best friends…and Maizono might be too. At least, she paid a lot more attention to him than anyone else.” Chihiro frowned at the mention of the latter part of the sentence.

...That reaction aside.   Excess focus on him from Leon Kuwata, with his wide-range of consorts, friends and fans, denotes Naegi stands above the crowd. Focus from  _Sayaka Maizono_ is an even greater indication of this due to the of the possible dangers of the idol singling out someone of the opposite gender in public.

Miaya would have to change her earlier assessment. Naegi must be very charismatic...in that case, why is his group of friends so small?

“Has Naegi ever presented himself as aggressive?” She continued her questioning.

“No way.  I don’t think he could hurt a fly if he tried.”

Miaya tried her best not to giggle at the pot calling the kettle black, she needed to be professional. This was a positive response, but not the one she wanted.

“I was speaking more psychologically than mentally. Do you feel like he’s ever pressured  you into anything you had no intention of doing?”

“N-Not really…" His reaction was slower and more uncertain this round. "Naegi might be a bit overwhelming sometimes but he always has my best interests in mind, a-and he’s never forced me to do anything I didn’t want to.” His breathing became ragged.

…Not so good a response. Indicates signs of minor psychological aggression and coercion. At the very least, she would need to have a talk with this Naegi. Now then...would it be the first time, is the issue.

“Last question. Do you think Naegi is sexually attractive?” A crude one but necessary to determine whether Naegi's influence on Chihiro was of physical attraction. That much would explain the programmer's recent behavior and focus on Naegi as somewhat more natural.

“Huh?” As expected, he turned beet red. “I-I, uwawawa.” He froze and shook slightly.

“Calm down, Chihiro. I don’t mean you specifically, but would you believe that Naegi was, objectively attractive in that manner?”

“Well I don’t know, he’s definitely not  _un-attractive._  ”

In other words, he leans slightly more towards good looking than not.

“But there are times like when he sleeps off or does something odd…he looks really cute. Like a puppy.” He continued unprovoked.

Not necessarily a sign of sexual attraction but…why did she feel like she knew exactly what Chihiro was talking about as if experiencing it first-hand?

Anyway, Miaya had asked the main questions. Now to see the reception

“Chihiro, from what  _you’ve_ told me, I can’t see how you could think of Naegi as anything more than somewhat above average overall…certainly not  _amazing_.” She left out his relationship with the other two ultimates. That would warrant further investigation later and could change her assessment completely.

“He is!” There it was again, that fervent desire to defend… just like with Yasuke. 

“Could you tell me why? In your own words?” Miaya inquired.

“Eh?” He struggled to think to the point of looking angry. Odd as one would think he’d have plenty to say for someone he holds in such high-esteem.

“H-He just is! He accepts me for the person I am and cares about me! Naegi always know what’s to say to make everything feel better. To make me feel like I'm not a freak!” His breathing turned into venting.

“Chii, take deep breaths. I wasn’t saying you were wrong about him.”  This was Friend!Miaya speaking.

He didn’t listen “For a weakling and a liar like me…he’s like a dream.”

 “That’s quite the confession, Fujisaki-san.”  Miaya turned her head around to see a lavender-haired girl with her gloved hands resting on her chin. Miaya recognized that look anywhere; as someone who analyzed people's actions constantly, Miaya could tell instantly when others were doing it as well.

Chii looked at the girl in horror...which was a sign that he'd said something he otherwise shouldn't have.

…Damn, she had been too invested in the session to remember that they had been in public where anyone could have passed by. What a blunder.

”K-K-Kirigiri? Don’t tell me you heard that!” So this was Kyouko Kirigiri, they were in the same class if she recalled correctly.

And of course she heard, Chii. You weren't very quiet.

“I just arrived and heard sounds of distress. My apologies for interrupting, but at this point I’m more worried about you than anything else.” The detective stated

“I-I’m fine.” Chihiro snapped. It was so far off his usual reactions that fine couldn't even begin to describe it.

“No you’re not. Judging from your excessive breathing, I deduced that you were moments from hyperventilating.” Kirigiri informed him

“Never mind that!” He shouted, “Just please, don’t tell anyone I said that.”

Anyone? Or Just Naegi? She bit back the urge to ask.

“I won’t. I have no intention of doing anything that would harm you.” 

“T-Thank you.”

“You look tired, Chii. How about you go rest in your room?” Miaya took control over the conversation. What the programmer needed now was rest...and was in deep need for a therapy session, very very soon.

“Yeah, I think I will. Sorry, Miaya.” He whispered, tiredly.

“No problem.” She said.

The boy stumbled as he left but otherwise, he was in acceptable form compared to what might have happened. She had to thank Kirigiri for averting a potentially disastrous situation.

But now Miaya knew for certain…

She turned to face the detective. That the girl hadn’t left means her primary business here wasn’t with Chihiro after all.

“I take it you heard a bit more than what you told Chihiro. Just how much?” The therapist inquired

“Everything. It may not have been an official therapeutic conversation, but you should be more careful.” The detective appeared indifferent however Miaya could feel the anger radiating from her; beneath her cool exterior, she must really care for Chihiro. So he really did make more friends. Miaya was glad for that fact...however...Kirigiri's condescension was nothing compared to the disappointment Miaya felt in herself.

“Agreed but Chihiro's state was something I couldn’t let lie unchecked. He wasn't acting like himself and he usually has a  **very**  consistent personality” Miaya said.

“...So you see it too." Kirigiri muttered, evidently thinking along the same lines. That’s why I’d like to ask a professional’s analysis; What did you make of that spectacle just now?”

A spectacle…well that certainly was an appropriate use of the term for an onlooker.

If there was a word that Miaya could use to describe the development, it would be “Unnatural.”

“Then we think along the same lines.” Kirigiri smirked and walked by her. "Let's keep in touch, Gekkogahara-senpai."

“Naegi.” Miaya called out and Kirigiri stopped a few meters passed the therapist, back facing each other

“The person Chihiro was talking about is Makoto Naegi, isn’t it?” She said

“And how would you know that?” Kirigiri did her best to hide it but Miaya recognized apprehension when she heard it. That only served to confirm Miaya's fears.

“He’s…an old friend.” 

 


	9. Sweet Dreams

_Mom and dad were always busy with his little sister, Komaru. He didn’t mind though, because she was sooo cute and it’s always why he had the freedom to wander off as much as he did. Kind of like right now_

_The child strutted around the amusement park, fervently licking his candy as myriads of civilians passed by him. Some waved to him while he cutely reciprocated the gesture._

_“Kiddo! Over here.” A man working behind a stall called to him._

_He pointed to himself to be sure he was the one be called for. The worker confirmed it with a nod._

_Seeing no reason to refuse, Makoto approached him._

_“Hiya, gramps!” The child shot the older man a wide toothy grin._

_“Pretty good, kid. But where are mommy and daddy?  Even in a place like this, it’s not safe to wander by yourself.”_

_“Uh…THERE! Komaru too!” His parents couldn’t be seen where he was pointing exactly however, they were certainly in the direction he came from._

_“That’s great. As long as you know where they are, now why don’t you run along and find them.”_

_Makoto nodded in compliance._

_“That’s a good lad, have some cotton candy, and one for Komaru-chan too.”  Naegi accepted the treat from the stall owner and marveled at the confectioneries “It’s on the house.”_

_The boy chomped on the candy and thanked the old man with his mouth stuffed._

_“Haha, no problem. Now get going before mommy gets worried.”_

_Makoto smiled and turned back, fighting the urge not to eat his sister’s candy on the way._

_It was a time of childlike innocence where they believed themselves to be the center of all and loved by all. In the truest sense, the Makoto Naegi of that time was free of strife._

_Makoto had difficulty remembering where he left his family. There were too many people, and before he knew it, he was lost._

_The boy took in his surroundings, searching for suitable help._ **_What_ ** _he found was an adult male, his attire was what you would expect of a worn-down salaryman at the end of his rope; a stubble chin, unkempt clothing and a loose tie._

_But he wasn’t able to take notice of any of that. He was just another adult_

_No...that wasn't right. Naegi had seen enough apparitions to notice one when he saw it; the man's pigmentation was too stale, his body almost translucent and the biggest...he was alone and despondent._

_But that didn't matter. Ghosts were people too._

_Ah, they always had that look he couldn't stand. When people around him were happy, so was he...too bad the reverse was also true. Today however, he had to be a little selfish._

_“Mister, have you seen my family?” He addressed the man._

_No response came. The man didn’t even recognize his presence._

_It was then that Naegi reached boiling point and burst into tears._

_“W-Were you talking to me?” The adult finally took notice that there was nobody there besides the two of them near a remote washroom._

_The crying boy nodded._

_“You can see me?” He asked, incredulously._

_“Mhm.” He murmured as he gently rubbed his eyes._

_The man stared at him for a few moments...and then laughed  “Ahahahaha. This is rich, someone finally noticed me and it’s a goddamn 5-year old.”_

_He wasn't that little._

_“STOP FUCKING WITH ME!” The man snapped to nobody in particular and punched the wall next to him._

_Only no contact was made. His arm went through it._

_" Mister, you’re a ghost.” Naegi stated the obvious._

_“What did you just call me?” The man's tone suggested he didn't take that comment well._

_“A ghost.”_

_“…No, I’m not a fucking ghost. Maybe when you grow up, you'll learn that shit ain't real!"  He swore and then placed his palm to his forehead. “I just have a bit of a problem; just a bad dream I_ **_really_ ** _need to wake up from.”_

_Makoto shook his head “Nuh uh. I’m not a dream, I’m real.”_

_“Who fucking asked you!” Makoto jumped back at the scream, Tears threatening to fall again._

_The man paid him no heed._

_“I’m not the one at fault here, it’s everyone else who can’t see me. They’re the problem!”_

_He went on a tangent_

_“There’s no way. There’s no way I could have died then. My daughter still needs me! She always comes back home in bruises and those bandages. I was always working and never had time for her” While  he berated himself without end, Naegi could only stand there confused._

_He just wanted directions..._

_“Haha- It’s always been like this, all my life I was screwed over by everyone and_ **_everything_ ** _. Why the fuck wasn’t it someone else for a change!?”_

_"U-Um..." Naegi stammered. He wasn't used to extreme cases like this. Some of the ghosts he met were nice, others were depressed but this was the first to be so volatile. Still, Naegi felt he had to help somehow, because that was the right thing to do._

_The man calmed down eerily suddenly, with an entranced expression; for a moment, his gaze was not unlike a monk on the verge of enlightenment._

_For a moment._

_The man now stared at Naegi with a gentle smile, which harshly contradicted just about everything else the boy had witnessed_

_“Hey, kid. You said you were looking for your family, right?” He said._

_“Y-yeah.” Naegi nodded nervously. Maybe he was grown up, after all._

_“I know where they are. Just come a little closer and I’ll show you.”_

_Makoto was a child. He neither understood  the cruelty behind his own words, the man’s reactions nor his desperation. That’s why he didn’t see a reason not to approach the adult._

_That reason came soon after he took his first few steps - when a large pair of hands reached out for his small, fragile neck._

 ---

The noisy sirens of my phone ringing woke me up from that equally irritating nightmare. The sounds didn’t appear to be coming from the alarm so…someone was calling me...this hour?

It was 6 in the morning.

I checked the caller and recognized the number as Mahiru’s. It must be important.

“This is Makoto speaking.”

“Makoto are you free right now?”

“In a manner of speaking. I  _was_  asleep until you called.”

“I thought boys got up around this time…never mind, could you meet up with us at Spacebucks near campus? ”

Us?

I had a feeling she was talking about Sato and from there, it was obvious what the focus of the discussion would be.

“I’ll be right over.” He said, in his usual jovial disposition.

\---

“Sorry for calling you on such short notice.” Mahiru greeted him as he met them inside the cafe

“I’m sure you have your reasons.” He replied

“We do.” Sato said and handed him…Mahiru’s phone? “Read the text message.”

And so he did.  After reading through once, his eyebrows furrowed, and his expression grew serious. The girls had been sent a rather threatening invitation by Kuzuryuu-senpai. The contents specifically  ~~demanded~~ requested Mahiru and Sato to show up in the music room tonight or else their secret gets exposed to the world.

“Exposed? What evidence does he even have?” The ahoge wondered

“Photos.” Mahiru began “I’m missing some photos of… _her_...c-corpse.” She struggled to let out the last word. Understandable, it wasn’t the kind of conversation anyone would want to have.

But keeping evidence was careless. 

“So, what do you plan on doing?” He asked.

“I’m going.” Mahiru said

“Mahiru, don’t be ridiculous.” Sato replied

Agreed, going was simply unthinkable. That was marching to the gallows of your own free will.

“Talk her out of this. You can see that this is a bad idea, right?” Sato implored him. Well, now he got a good grasp of the situation

“What else can we do? Run away like we’ve been doing all year? I’ve had enough of it, enough of the guilt! I’m not backing down anymore and neither should you!” Mahiru said, frustrated.

“You weren’t the one who-”

“Uh, girls? I’m sure I don’t have to say this again but we’re in public…hehe.”  With this habit of theirs, I’m surprised the whole school doesn’t know about this issue. How did they hide it for so long?

“If you’re looking for a solution then I’ve already got one that everyone will be satisfied with.” Naegi spoke up. He now had their undivided attention as they looked upon him promisingly.

“Mahiru doesn’t have to answer the invitation. I’ll go in her stead and take care of everything.”  It was outrageous statement delivered  in a completely nonchalant manner.

“Out of the question!” “Are you both crazy!?” Mahiru and Sato proclaimed, respectively.

“W-What’s with that reception? I thought you’d both like the idea.”

“What part of you walking right into a pissed off thug’s clutches is a good idea?” The photographer appeared to have been angered.

“…Wasn’t that exactly what you were going to do?" Makoto scratched his cheeks in confusion and then continued. "You shouldn't be so careless, senpai. You said it yourself that Kuzuryuu is...dangerous. I don't think it's wise trust such dangerous people openly. Let me handle it, maybe I'll even get a chance to prove my manliness." He joked at the end.

Mahiru didn't respond to it and instead focused only on the severity of his proposition “Yes but that’s my problem. There’s absolutely no reason for you to put  _yourself_  in danger.”

“”But your problem is also my problem; that’s what friends are for…and besides, why even call me here if you didn’t expect me to help?”

“ _I_  wanted you to convince Mahiru since she wouldn’t listen to me. She suggested to call you in to break the stalemate.” Sato explained.

“And that’s what I’m doing. Trust me, I’ll handle everything.” Naegi said.

“…Do you have some sort of plan?” Mahiru probed.

“Of course I do. I haven’t been sitting around doing nothing you know.”

“...Fine. Let’s hear it then.” Mahiru said, cross-legged. Skepticism couldn't begin to encapsulate the look she gave him

“Before that, I sort of ran all the way over here and am so thirsty. I’ll go buy a drink, want anything? Coffee?” He offered

“No, I’m fine honestly.” She muttered, but Makoto couldn't be expected to believe that. The red-head had bags under her eyes and judging from the time she called and the implied lengthy argument with Sato-san prior all suggested, she didn't get a good night's sleep.

“You look pretty tired to me. You can’t expect to be reasonable if you’re barely awake.” 

“…True, I barely slept at all last night.” She admitted.

“Then I’ll be off.”

He stood up and walked over to the counter for their order, reaching into his pocket as he did so.

 

-Mahiru Koizumi-

 

Makoto returned with 3 cups of coffee later.

The conversation went quiet after that. Did he really have a plan?

She sighed and brought the drink to her lips. If only the boys in her class were half as dependable as him...they’re even older for crying out loud. Though that may be an unfair comparison. Compared to most people she knew, Makoto was very mature for his age.  Perhaps a bit too mature.

He had given her the impression of someone who behaves recklessly without thinking, if the people he cared about were in danger. Additionally, he presented himself with such confidence that it removed any shred of doubt that he could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

She touched her eyes with her slender fingers, trying her best to stay awake. The coffee probably wasn't working...but that's what she gets for neglecting sleep for so long

After what felt like ages, her mind got back on track. Naegi's headstrong attitude, his kindness and confidence elicited both worrying combinations from the standpoint of someone who cared for the luckster's safety, but she also couldn't help but admire him...

She was already disgusted with herself for involving such an honest and nice person in her shady affairs. And now she agreed to call him over at this hour…maybe Naegi was right; she  _was_  expecting something from him.

How cowardly of her…guess she really wasn’t much better than the others. And she thought she could stand up to Kuzuryuu.

“-hiru.” A voice called out to her. Mahiru could barely make it out.

_Huh? Was that Sato? It was difficult to face her or even hear her…why?_

The world around her distorted and everything went black.

 

-Sato-

 

“Mahiru? Oi, get up.” Sato tried waking the girl, but she was out like a light. What the hell?

“It’s better if you don’t make a scene. Mahiru’s fine.” The kid said, sounding so sure of himself…

“What makes you think that?” She inquired

“I put a sleeping supplement in her drink. That’s how I know.” He smiled.

…She took a full minute to process his statement

“You…spiked her drink?" 

He let out a bashful laugh.

“Yeah, I had no choice since I didn’t really have a plan.” He said, still smiling. “No need to glare at me like that, I’m on your side of the argument here. If we left Mahiru alone, she’d definitely go to Kuzuryuu and wind up in trouble even in the best-case scenario. So I did what I had to.”

“Did what you had to? What the fuck is wrong with you!?” And what the hell did he put in her coffee to induce sleep that quickly? Normal sleeping pills don't work that fast.

“You disagree…that’s fine too, but first? Have these.” He gave her…medicine?

She read the label. It wrote "Insomnia”, but she could make heads nor tails of it.

“Those are usually for me…I never knew they’d come in handy like this. You just need to give a very small dose of that sometime in the afternoon to keep her in bed; nothing more than a quarter teaspoon full. Do that for me, please.”

“You think I’m going to help you drug my best friend?” Is he retarded!?

“Yes,  _because_  she’s your best friend. You don’t want to see her get in trouble, right? Then just take her to your dorm and keep her occupied while I deal with Fuyuhiko. You don’t  _have_  to drug her if you can handle it some other way. Lie to her, tie her up or even seduce her. Just keep her away from the music room.” He said more and more ridiculous things.

“S-Seduce her? What is that supposed to mean?” Sato retorted

“Huh? Were your feelings supposed to be a secret? Uh, sorry but they’re not very well hidden, at least to me.”

He…knew?

I don’t understand. What’s his stake in all this?

“Why would you even go this far?” She felt the hairs on her neck stand on end.

“Hmm.” He took on a thoughtful expression. “Simple. No matter what happens, if Mahiru went to meet Kuzuryuu, she would definitely be sad. Nobody will gain anything from that confrontation. That’s why I’ll stick my nose in her business and fix everything.”

“Without a plan?”

“Even if I don’t have one, I’ll still succeed. That’s the kind of guy I am.”

“Were you always like this? The entire time?” She held back the key-word

“Like what?” He was genuinely incapable of following her suggestion. And that in of itself was all the answer she needed.

This person was not normal.

He stood up, preparing to leave. But before that, he moved to Sato's chair and rested his palm on her shoulders.

“Ah...don’t get the wrong idea here, Sato. I’m not the problem, neither is Mahiru and Kuzuryuu isn’t either – the one at fault here, is you alone.” 

Sato froze as the boy (who now appeared so much taller now that he looked down on her) had a cold glaze in his eyes. 

“You have caused everyone involved no small amounts of grief. Let this be a lesson, murder isn’t something that should be done,  _ever_.  While I will never condone it, you can bully others, even hurt them...but all of that can be healed with time. However, once you’ve killed someone, that’s it – you can never take that back.” The last bit was said almost venomously.

Sato could only nod. 

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. Natsumi's death was awful but that's in the past. Do everyone a favor and  try to think about this lesson for the future...while you receive your punishment, I guess.”

She nodded again, all the while, it felt like a snake was constricting itself around her neck.

"One more thing. Could you not tell Mahiru about this, if possible? I don't think she'd forgive me if she found out and I'm not a fan of being hated. My self-esteem has taken a big blow recently as a result of that."

"And why wouldn't I tell my best friend, someone she trusts stabbed her in the back." She wanted to sound defiant, but it just came out as a mewl

He chuckled. "Why not? After all, I kept your secret...though I guess a bat is quite a bit different from a knife."

Sato bit her lip

Throughout their conversation, Makoto Naegi's smile didn't waver for an instant.

\---

 

Really now…After being told not to trust so carelessly, she didn’t even suspect that there might have been the intention of tricking her. Had Mahiru seen through the plan, Makoto would have agreed to letting her meet Fuyuhiko .

For a cheap trick like drugging her to work flawlessly meant she was nowhere near prepared mentally to deal with a Yakuza, whose trade deals in underhanded tactics.

Regardless, Naegi genuinely believed he overstepped his boundaries; Mahiru would be feeling the after-effects of the medicine for nearly a week…but drastic measures tend to be called for in desperate situations.

And he was certainly desperate; the news had hit harder than he let on. Kuzuryuu wasn’t one to take being stood up well – if Mahiru didn’t show then he’d hit her harder. No matter what, the matter of Natsumi’s murder was going to be solved today.

Makoto wasn’t a fan of rush jobs, but he had no other options.

"Naegi!" The booming hello was enough for Makoto to realize instantly that the one calling out to him was Ishimaru

"Something up?" He greeted the moral compass.

"I was wondering if you would like to..." Ishimaru sweated and proceeded to check his notebook. " Hang out!" He finished awkwardly.

Makoto tried unreasonably hard not to laugh at the other boy's rigidity.

"Ishimaru, you just have to ask naturally, we're friends." Makoto explained "But not today, I have plans."

"I see." Ishimaru deflated, sending the luckster through a guilt trip. Their detention period was over and Ishimaru hadn't approached any of them recently, probably because he was insecure about relationships.

"Naegi...about me giving you all detention. There is something I'm ashamed to admit...the truth is." He started, only for Naegi to cut him off.

"I'm...sure you've got your reasons for doing that, but thanks anyway. I had a lot of fun." He had a good idea what Ishimaru would anyway.

"You're welcome! I am always ready to help." The compass responded happily. 

Help huh?...

"Ishimaru, could I ask you for a favor?"

 

\---

 

“Natsumi” Makoto said, walking into the music room

“Hm? Need something, Makoto?” The ghost appeared

“You’re…in a good mood. That wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain rendezvous here tonight, would it?”

“You bet your scrawny ass it does. I can’t wait to see the look on that bitch’s face.”

“You’ll have to keep waiting then because they aren’t coming.” They referring to Mahiru and Sato

“You prick! How could you!?” Natsumi lashed out.

“No shit why you are even doing this?” Her tone suggested she was mostly infuriated...and partly concerned.

 Makoto sighed, might as well come clean

“Like you, there were ghosts before that I interacted with all the way back to childhood. I was naive back then, so it took a while before I noticed what I saw weren’t living and couldn’t be seen by anyone else. That caused me my fair share of problems. Some were nice people who lived sad lives or felt like they still had something left to do. They usually didn’t need much, thus I could help them reconcile without considerable difficulty. The problem was the not-so-nice ones.”

“Like me huh?” Natsumi grinned. The tough girl act again...

Makoto gave her a puzzled look “No. You’d be about average, leaning more towards good than not.”

“You lookin’ down on me? I’ll have you know I’m the baddest bitch out there!”

“No you’re not. Not even close.”

Natsumi frowned.

“But let’s skip over those details and focus on what matters to you. The spirits generally leave off when they’re satisfied but the ones that are too attached tend to have strange things happen to them after a period of time…" He stopped himself to build tension

and then

"They burn.” He said, finally.

“THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?” She yelled

“Whenever I checked up on these ghosts for the last time, the area where they were bound too was always charred, with only embers remaining. Those flames couldn’t be seen by anyone but me; other humans would ignore or move right past them and that’s how I knew they had to have been the remains of those ghosts. Unfortunately, some of the ghosts who met that end were tragic and desperate people…however, I don’t need to say what type of ghost the majority were.”

“So you’re trying to tell me I’ll fucking catch fire!?”

“That’s why I’ve been telling you to leave, yes.” He nodded

“Bullshit”

“Huh?” That wasn't the reaction he expected

“You made that shit up to scare me and leave before I get my revenge. It’s not going to work” She crossed her ephemeral arms

“You don’t…believe me?” He said, slowly

“Fuck no, I don’t. Not unless you’ve got proof.”

A moment of silence passed and then, laughter ensued. One that soon turned into full-blown hilarity. What Makoto was laughing at was anybody’s guess.

“What’s so goddamn funny?”

 “I’m sorry, it’s just I’d almost forgotten ghosts had human nature too.” The boy wiped a tear from his eyes

“But I’m serious. Whether or not you believe me, that’s the only fate waiting for you if you choose to stay much longer.”

“And how would I even leave anyway?” She inquired.

“Give up. Forget about the strong attachment that’s keeping you chained here; forget about Sato.”

“Fine”

His eyes widened for a moment

“I’ll forget about her when my brother’s put a bullet in her skull.”

He took deep breaths.

“Haven’t I already told you? I won’t let that happen.”

“Then we’re at an impasse. I’d love to see how a twink like you could stop the next big mob boss from going on a rampage.” She smiled confidently.

“…”

"Thanks for the tip though it won’t matter, I’ll be gone by tomorrow anyway. Fuyu will kill Sato right here in front of me and I’ll love every second of it. Big brother has never let me down and he never will." She said confidently.

“...I see. In that case, I want to make a deal with you.” Makoto proposed

“…What kind of deal?” Her interest was peaked  
  
“You’ve told me about your absolute confidence in Fuyuhiko to act in your best wishes, right? We’ll test how true that is.” He suggested

“…Go on.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heading towards the climax.
> 
> Next chapter: Naegi thinks he can swordfight Peko. Any bets on how that turns out?


	10. Won't Kill, Won't be Killed

Makoto sat at on the window ledge, smiling and kicking his legs at the air as he gazed obsessively at the door on the other side of the room.

This entire day had been a disaster and sent him into a rare bad mood. That dream again, Kuzuryuu ultimatum, drugging Mahiru (which still left a horrid aftertaste that refused to go away) and, once again, somebody had desecrated the memorial in the music room. This time, the jerks had written profanities on the silver ornament and Makoto had to run numerous trips in and out of the music room; all to search for suitable cleaning items to scrub it off. That alone had taken over an hour.

He skipped class all that afternoon, waiting in the music room for their arrival. It was late enough that he didn’t want to leave and come back later as a precautionary measure. Perhaps they planned to booby-trap the area before “Mahiru and Sato” arrived and, well, he didn’t want to make his chances already worse than they were. He may be unlucky by nature but that didn’t mean he had to actively facilitate it.

Now then, when all was said and done, the decision would be left up to Kuzuryuu. If things didn’t go well then Naegi doubted he’d get off with just a warning this time.  But even disregarding that, he doubted this would end without a show of violence. Kuzuryuu’s pride would never allow it.

Pride...

Have none of these people ever considered calling the police? That would easily resolve the matter in the most efficient method possible...only they wouldn't.

It was their pride, always with their idiotic pride. Natsumi was the same; the narcissistic twin who believed she could lord it over others using assets that weren't really her own...and look it where it got her.

A small grimace crossed my lips

Time after time, their hubris in their own world views betrays them. It was almost comical how one could have so much confidence in the such a thin layer of common sense when they know comparatively little about what's true and what isn't.

...Then again, the truth has always been decided by the dominant majority throughout history...from a certain point of view, doesn't that mean I, who belong to that small majority, am in the wrong here?

Looking at it that way, I couldn't help but be amused at the contradiction.

And so I passed the time with similarly meaningless thoughts. 

 

\---

 

The door slid open and from it came the guests of the hour. As expected, if the master were to show then the servant would follow.

“Yo, Peko. Fuyu.” He greeted.

“Explain yourself, Naegi.” The swordswoman spoke first

“That’s my line, idiot.” Fuyuhiko overtook her “Explain yourself, dumbass. Can’t you see we’re busy here?”

“I don’t think that line works when I was here first…or did you already reserve this place for something?”

“Cheeky little....You know exactly what’s going on here, don’t you?” The yakuza widened his eyes

“Hahahaha, oh man this is rich. They fucking backed out and sent the runt in their place. I thought Koizumi at least had bigger balls than that.”  He laughed but Naegi knew he was angry beyond words.

"If that's how they want to play this then  I'll teach them I'm not someone to be fucked with, and who knows? I might have their families join in on the lesson; only seems fair from where I'm standing." He said, darkly.

“Ah, could you not?" Naegi raised a hand "I mean, its alright if you’re joking but you strike me as a fairly unstable person at the moment and I’d rather you not drag any more people into this mess.”

“Could you kindly explain to me why the fuck I should care about what you want when what  _I want_  ran the fuck away?”

“They didn’t run. Truthfully, Mahiru planned on doing exactly as you told her and meeting you here." Naegi informed him "Mahiru probably didn’t have a plan either and would likely have just assumed the moral high ground in the 'conversation'. I have a good feeling about how that would turn out, but I’d like to confirm it with you.”

“Pffft-ahahaha, that makes two of us. I’d bash her brains the instant she tried that shit with me.”

Bash? His eyes lingered on a weapon in the Yakuza's grip.

Kuzuryuu had brought a bat, probably for ironic reasons. Funny...because Naegi brought one too for the opposite reason; it was the same one he'd borrowed from Leon some time ago. Makoto's bat was currently laid down besides him.

More importantly though, Fuyuhiko probably didn’t bring a gun with him. That was lucky…if my name wasn’t Makoto Naegi. Whatever Kuzuryuu  _did_  bring, is probably just as bad or if not worse than a gun.

“Why isn’t she here then?”

“That would be my fault. She tried to talk me out of it but that’d be stupid, so I drugged her and sent her off somewhere.” Naegi informed him

“…You expect me to fucking believe that?”

“In all likelihood, he is not lying, young master.” Pekoyama interrupted

“What makes you so sure?” Her master looked skeptical

“As you’re aware, he made frequent visits to the dojo, so I’ve come to pick up on some of his habits.”

“And?”

“...There is something undeniably off about him. Though I have yet to figure out what that is, let us not forget Enoshima's brainwashing...It is not unthinkable for him to be capable of such extremes.”

“That right…yeah, I might actually get that. To begin with, nobody in their right mind would sign up for getting in the way of a Kuzuryuu but this idiot has picked a fight with me  ** _three different times._**   Are all lucky students fucking crazy?”

“Be quiet.” 

Kuzuryuu's mockery came to an instant halt.

"I...am not...crazy."

Kuzuryuu froze while Pekoyama tensed up and gripped the sword hanging from her back.

“Yeah whatever. Crazy or not that I’m about to kick your ass for wasting my time.” Kuzuryuu said. However, Naegi knew that meant...

 “On second thought. Peko, you do it” He motioned towards his bodyguard and snapped his fingers

Makoto had a feeling it would end this way. He jumped off the window ledge and walked a few steps forward.

The swordswoman stood in front of Kuzuryuu. Shinai in hand at cold eyes poised at Naegi, as she did the same.

The room itself wasn’t very spacious. Abandoned it may be, this was once a place for education and as such uneven rows of worn out desks and chairs cluttered the surroundings. Needless to say, it was unbearably cramped when compared to the dojo.

“If you surrender now, I will make this relatively painless.” She said

“How much is relative here?” He joked but she didn’t bite. “Thanks for the advice but I’m not the type to give up that easily.”

He readied his weapon and took up a defensive stance.

“So you were prepared.” She nodded and assumed an offensive one.

The two remained there, less than a few proper meters separating them.

“The hell are you waiting for? A signa-…Shit, why not? Peko start in 3…2…1…”

Pekoyama bridged the gap between them in an instant, thrusting the tip of her shinai at the luckster in a piercing motion. Naegi responded by holding the bat in a horizontal position, parallel to his chest in order to defend against the blow.  He would have never tried that maneuver with a shinai of his own, but the bat’s larger width made it less risky.

A resulting clang of wood meeting metal erupted across the room.

Not one to waste even a moment on a failed strike. Peko brought her sword down and then swung upwards, forcing the bat (and Naegi’s arm with it) up into the air. Then the swordswoman expertly flipped her sword backwards, so the tip of her hilt was aimed at Naegi instead and thrust it, hitting the boy in the gut and sending back a small distance.

“Guh!” He staggered and cried out. He tried not to vomit right then and there.

Pekoyama had taken the first round, but that was to be expected. Not only was she far better than him to start with but he was using a bat. It wasn’t exactly made to be used as a sword; the weapon itself was fairly heavy for his small frame which also made him slightly slower compared to using a shinai. However, even the slightest decrease in speed could cost victory in a fight.

Lucky for him he wasn’t trying to win, he just couldn’t lose. He had to hold out long enough to think of a plan, something will come to him (it always did) and if he couldn’t? Then there was always one thing he could fall back on.

“Do you really think you have the time to rest? There are limits to being so easy-going.” The bodyguard said and not a second later, she was on him again.

Naegi took a deep breath and then calmly advanced, gazing dispassionately at the other ultimate.

I countered all of her blows with my own.

Wood clashed with metal and were soon lost in a flurry of swings. Just as before, Peko’s speed gave her the edge, but this time was different; Naegi was able to match her blow for blow. Every swing she made was cancelled out without fail.

The fight became a re-enactment of their practices. While he had never won a single match, that was because of his utter lack of talent for attacking. My guard however, was a wall that Pekoyama couldn’t break through. In a way, the situation had worked to his advantage – I didn’t have to be the attacker. Pekoyama at this moment had taken on that role, leaving me to act in the way that best matched my style.

Several minutes of repetitive strikes passed and Peko was left stonewalled for not a single scratch had me its way onto Naegi’s body.

“What the heck? The kid’s not bad.” Fuyuhiko muttered, unsure of whether to be impressed at the luckster’s skill or annoyed at the swordswoman’s inability to take care of a single task. She even had the gall to misunderstand his intention!

“Peko, stop.” He said, and the swordswoman leapt back a small distance away, no worse for wear. Naegi, on the other hand, was left almost breathless.

 “Drop the kiddie gloves and use your real sword, then…” The self-proclaimed tool’s eyes widened at the inevitable command “Kill him.”

“….Eh?” Naegi muttered in shock

“Young master? Is that not excessive?”

“I think I just told you to kill that son of a bitch? Do you need me to define murder for you? Ice him. Decapitate. Make him sleep with the fishes,  etcete-fucking-ra.”

“Besides, he’ll make a good warmup for a few assassinations Enoshima's got lined up for ya. Plus it’ll serve as a good punishment for sneaking around with this fuck behind my back.” He continued.

Peko’s gaze remained on Kuzuryuu a moment longer and then returned her attention to Naegi. She closed her eyes and then took a breath for what seemed like the first time since they began.

Once they re-opened, Naegi inadvertently shuddered at the coldness emanating from the woman now.

Pekoyama grabbed the wooden sword and pulled off the guard, revealing the sleek katana that lied underneath.

Naegi resumed his defensive position. It wasn’t that big of a deal in retrospect - he thought.

 The braided girl using a real sword merely meant her strikes would leave more of an impact, however a metal bat should able to handle that sword for some time. Still, he’d be better off dodging the edge of her sword as much as he could.

It was then he noticed Pekoyama’s stance had changed. It transformed into one he could only describe as more…natural, perhaps even befitting.

They were separated by a distance of approximately 3 meters. At one moment Naegi analyzed her in an attempt to anticipate where she would strike.

The next moment…he was...still looking at the spot she had  **once occupied** while the martial artist herself was…now…swinging…At… him.

“W….hat?” Was all that he could say as his bat was cleanly cut-in-half from a diagonal swing of her sword. It was such a masterful slice that an ignorant party may have presumed the bat's current shape was the intended design.

...Leon's going to be pissed. That thought crossed his mind for the split second of freedom he had to ruminate.

“Too shallow.” She said. He didn’t think she was talking to him.

Naegi felt a warm liquid cascade down his neck and reached for it. As expected, what he found on his palm was blood. He nearly screamed in terror. The cut wasn’t deep enough to be fatal, but the issue was that it easily  _could’ve_  been had she put an inch more into her step. Worse is that he didn’t even see her move.

“Pffft-ahahaha.” Kuzuryuu let out a gut-wrenching laugh “You should see the look on your face. Don’t tell me you thought Peko was taking you seriously. Listen here, you chump. She’s been pulling her punches in those little get-togethers of yours. At most, she was fighting at the level of an expert. She’s a master and you’re about to see why she’s the Kuzuryuu clan’s best hitman….hehehe, well, you probably won’t see it coming even if I tell you.”

While Kuzuryuu monologued, Naegi distanced himself far enough that his back right next to window.

Pekoyama gazed at him with merciless eyes and prepared to advance.

Kuzuryuu was right, he couldn’t see her move, so the best option would simply be to move  _before_  she did. And to top it off, the bat was useless now...though he could…shit, out of the question.

Feeling the wind picking up, Naegi dropped the bat and dashed to the side, ramming into a few desks as he collapsed on the ground.

The sound of slicing wind could be heard from site where he had previously stood as Pekoyama had cut through the air.

 His arm hurt from the collision into the desks

Naegi looked to his arm as he noticed the stinging pain. A familiar red liquid dripped from his now bare skin;  the sleeve on his school shirt had been cut and was down dangling in an unsightly manner.

Even using pre-emptive actions, she still managed to cut him. This feeling was…the same as that time with Ikusaba. The feeling that he was about to die.

“How dazzlingly naïve…or is it something else?” Pekoyama finally spoke, staring at the fallen bat.

“Your weapon, even while reduced to that state, is  _still_  a weapon. Had you thrown it, I would have either smacked it away or dodged…however, either action may have induced the risk of getting the young master caught in the ricochet. Ordinarily such an action may seem trivial, but you are the ultimate lucky student, the possibility that you could have wounded the young master is not zero, far from it. And despite my skill, even I cannot win against luck.”

She faced him. Gazing at him as if he were cattle to the slaughter.

“Thus, you chose to  _drop_  it.”  She took a step forward and he tried to pick himself up. Something made more difficult thanks to the many pieces of furniture in his way.

“This goes beyond the concept of selflessness. It is unthinkable for any sane human-being to forego their own safety out of fear of merely  _wounding their attacker._ It defies the vary basis of self-preservation.”

She stopped a small space away from him while her blade made up for the rest of the distance. She pointed the tip mere inches from his eye, as if daring him to move.

If he did, he would be cut down with certainty.

“As I thought…you are abnormal.” She judged, without a trace of emotion “Do not struggle. I promise to end this swiftly.”

“Hehehe…I’m not sure about you but I’ve never met another human who’d happily say yes to be being killed.” He smirked

“And I presume it is that abnormality that allows you to joke even now. Good, then I will not regret cutting you down as if you were a mere bystander.”

Naegi’s breath hitched as Peko gripped the katana with both hands.

“You once said that you could defeat your opponent without the use of violence. If there was any truth in those words, I sincerely hope you can prove it to me right here and right now.”

The torrent of fear stymied coherent language, yet his eyes pleaded for her to stop.

“I see.”  Fragments of emotion resurfaced in her gaze “It appears that perhaps – No, I will certainly regret this after all…”

She rose the sword overhead “You, who were much too kind for your own good, I am sorry and please…do not forgive either of us.”

The blade came down.

And he _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Naegi!” A voice called out

Pekoyama’s eyes widened as she stared at him and with lightning-quick reflexes, turned around to block an incoming blow from Mukuro Ikusaba’s military knife.

“Ikusaba, what do you think you’re doing!?” Kuzuryuu called out, clutching his arm against his stomach. He presumed the older sister must have attacked him on her way in. And behind him was…Kirigiri, who was looking at him with an uneasy expression. She had been the one to yell his name.

“My duty.”  She said, back turned while still locking blades with Pekoyama

“Fuck that! Junko said she’d stay out of this so why the fuck are you getting in my way?”

“Naegi has nothing to do with the parameters of the agreement, thus I have made no breach in contract.”

This time Pekoyama spoke “Your duty was merely to observe him, it does not include protection, nor would your sister approve.”

“Junko is my sister, I live to protect her. Sorry Pekoyama but I am not a machine, I have my own will.”

“Perhaps that may be the case now but the you of the past would never have uttered those words. As a tool myself, I am best capable of understanding one similar to myself. I have long considered us to be kindred spirits of sorts…but to think you of all people would exploit the ambiguity of your master’s orders for your own ends...”

Ikusaba had no response.

“Don’t just sit there. Get away from her.” Kirigiri yelled, which elicited a glare from Kuzuryuu.

I did as she asked but before that I proclaimed something in a low voice. It was low enough where only Peko, the closest person could hear.

“Fine. I’ll prove it to you now.”

He got up to his knees and circled around the side, avoiding the duel between the two ultimates  and closing the distance between himself and Kuzuryuu.

“Tch, don’t think you’ve won.” The gangster relented

“I don’t know what is supposed to be ‘won’ here but whatever this is, ends now.” Kirigiri addressed him

“Not yet, Kuzuryuu-senpai and I still have to settle things. Kirigiri-san, could you not interfere no matter what?” He said, ignoring the clangs of the fight going on behind them.

Both students raised an eyebrow.

“You got somethin’ to say to me?”

“Yeah. Its actually what I planned on saying from the start. I mean, before you ordered Peko to attack me.” He said with a wave of the hand. An action that greatly disturbed the yakuza and detective as blood was  _still_  dripping from his arm, albeit slightly.

“You’re wrong about Natsumi wanting revenge.”

An awkward silence passed.

 Fuyuhiko chuckled and shook his head in derision.

Next, he sent a fist flying square into Naegi’s jaw and knocked him onto the ground.

 “Sometimes, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut. You don’t know the first thing about Natsumi, so don’t you dare preach to me about her!” He said. Kirigiri stood there motionless, calmly analyzing the scene.

Makoto caressed his jaw-line “But I do know about her. About as much as someone can over a few months I’ve been here, I guess.”

 “Stop fucking playing with me.”  This time Fuyuhiko kicked him in the chin “She died a year ago, asshat. If I ever one more nonsense out of-”

“I know. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really matter for me.” Naegi interrupted the enraged Yakuza. “Because I can see ghosts.” I confessed, now sitting down with my legs crossed.

The sounds of fighting from behind me stopped. The girls behind couldn't be seen from this position, however there was no doubt their attention was now focused squarely on me…or the state of my sanity.

Fuyuhiko’s reaction could only be described as stupefied. Had he not found Naegi’s proclamation utterly contrived, he’d have continued his beatdown. “I never thought I’d say this to another living soul but you’re _crazier_  than Komaeda - Even more, if you think I’ll buy that shit.”

Naegi twitched at the insult and then took a deep breath.

“I didn’t expect you to. After all, even my own family didn’t. If you believed me without evidence, I’d think there’s something deeply wrong with you.” The ahoge replied

“Why you-“

“That phrasing…you mean to prove this then?” Kirigiri inquired, capturing Fuyuhiko’s attention.

“Aren’t you that nosy detective? Don’t tell me  _you_  are actually listening to this crap?”

“Yeah, I’ve got evidence.” Naegi said.

Fuyuhiko’s head snapped back so fast, he’d felt a minute case of whiplash.

“I can prove I’ve seen her. I’ve met her quite a few times, so I know quite a bit about her.” 

The gangster grit his teeth so hard, he almost popped a vein. After a few moments he settled down and then gazed at Naegi with the same cold stare Pekoyama had given him moments earlier.

“Alright, I’ll play this game…but on three conditions.”

“That is?”

He pulled out an-all-too-familiar-knife. “Stretch out your wounded hand and place it flat on the ground. 1) For every single thing I hear that I disagree with or pisses me off,  I’m going to stab it with this knife. 2) If it goes on for more than 5 times then I’ll cut off those fingers. 3) I will punch the lights out of you at any point if it suits me. Are you fine with that?”

“Like hell!” Ikusaba started but Naegi raised the hand and did as Kuzuryuu instructed

“Deal.” Makoto said.

“Naegi, you can’t be serious. Those terms are ridiculous.” Ikusaba warned. Pekoyama on the other hand, looked on with a passive expression similar to Kirigiri’s.

“It’s not any less ridiculous than getting him to believe I can see spirits. I’m the one making unreasonable requests here, all things considered.” 

“…Get on with it.” Fuyuhiko said and Naegi’s expression grew serious.

Makoto could see now that Fuyuhiko hadn't calmed down. He was angrier than Naegi had ever seen him; the mobster was merely directing his anger in a more efficient manner. It became evident at that moment that the heir hadn’t been handed that position to him on a silver platter.

 “To start off, I guess I should explain that I know what she’s like.” I began. “Natsumi’s kind of like a spoiled cat – really independent. Comes and goes whenever she pleases, does whatever she pleases but will never answer if she doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes its a pain but at the end of the day, its endearing.”

The first stab to his palm came, causing Naegi to cry out in pain.

“Y-You don’t…agree?” The luckster struggled to speak

“Hearing you say it pissed me off. It’s also a waste of time because that’s information anyone could know. That’s strike one.” 

“Next then. You were always at odds with some of the elders in your clan, since they thought you were too soft to be the next head. Natsumi was always liked more by them…still, she never thought that way about you. She approved of you 100%”

Kuzuryuu brought the knife down again.

“Argh!” Naegi screamed, harder this time.

“What the hell was that for!?” Ikusaba said in my stead, rage seeping out of her. Had Pekoyama not been there to keep her in check, she may very well have attacked Fuyuhiko already.

“Strike two.” He refused to explain this one but Naegi saw it, his mask slipped for a moment.

“Truth be told, she did want revenge.  She wanted to get even with Sato using you, just as you’re doing right now. I couldn’t stand for that. Revenge is for idiots who can’t see between the costs and the benefits.”

Strike three came. Naegi had been prepared for this one and suppressed a cry until it became nothing more than a groan. I wished the gangster would stop taking out the knife before putting It back. At this rate blood loss could become a problem.

“Two more until you lose those fingers.”

“Y...eah. I tried talking her out of it. She’s stubborn so that didn’t take for quite a while. And by that? I mean from the day we met till this morning. It was a problem because abbe rations can only stay among the living for a little while before they suffer the consequences. In my desperation, I made a deal with her and was forced to share something I never wanted anyone to know. But it worked out for the best and she’s satisfied. You’re the only one left still holding a grudge.”

The next blow came, and it was the hardest one yet. Kuzuryuu stabbed the same wound up until this point however, this time he went for a fresh one….great more blood. Forget passing out, I was worried about an infection.

“Last chance. You’ve yet to prove why I should believe a word you’ve said.”

Beads of sweat poured down my forehead as I strained my eyes open.

“8 years ago on the day where everyone in the family was forced to recognize your procession as the next head of the family.”

Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu’s eyes widened at this. The shock being far more evident on the latter.

“You were missing for quite some time before that and not even Pekoyama knew where you were. Some had thought you ran away like a coward, but others believed you were kidnapped by a rival family. Neither did well for your image so they tried to settle the matter quietly. Your sister thought differently and did a thorough search for you across the city. She found you hours later, hugging your knees at a far away hideout you both used as kids. It was the one place where you were sure your family wouldn’t find you.”

Fuyuhiko had long frozen by this point

“As it turns out, you really had run away, feeling unsuited for the position. Natsumi thought otherwise and wanted you to return – naturally a quarrel broke out between you two. Unfortunately for Natsumi, in her haste, she didn’t consider the possibility that she’d be followed. A face that famous in the underground wandering around the city was cause for notice...and a rival family did.”

Fuyuhiko's surprise had turned to abject fear.

“You know what happened next. Natsumi recklessly antagonized them but you were smart enough to run away with her before they could jump you. Of course, a few kids could never outrun highly trained adults so all you could manage after a few minutes was hide her somewhere and take the beatings yourself. A model big-brother, I’d have done the same. Luckily for you, there was enough commotion raised to draw civilian attention and escape with your life. You more than proved yourself to Natsumi, whether you knew it or not. As for your attackers? They were promptly dealt with in secret under your sister’s orders while you recuperated.”

The room was met with silence as he finished

“Young master…is that true?” Pekoyama said.

“…”

“Well Kuzuryuu? That seems to be evidence I imagine not many could know. Certainly not someone like Makoto Naegi.” Kirigiri chimed in.

“….bullshit.”

“Pardon”

“I said.It’s.Fucking.Bullshit!” He roared and then punched Naegi in the gut. It was the same location where Pekoyama had hit him earlier which only doubled the pain.

Fuyuhiko didn’t let up however and continued stomping on my hunched down form.

“Don’t fuck with me! Natsumi would never give up like that. She was always the type to get even!  “ He grabbed the fallen Naegi by the collar and glared. “What the fuck did you say to her!?”

Naegi sighed

I grasped Fuyuhiko’s knife hand with and used it to forcibly sliced open my own shirt in a vertical line.

The sides parted and revealed what laid beneath

Kuzuryuu inched back while Kirigiri lightly gasped. 

Ikusaba and Pekoyama couldn’t see it with his back facing them and could only give confused expressions.

Those were the usual reactions to the few who'd seen this scar. I knew the lightning-shaped indent wasn't a pretty sight, but couldn't they be a bit more considerate about it?

“This scar is something of a life lesson, left by someone I didn’t even know. It happened all the way back when I was a child; I lost my family, ran into a wandering ghost at an amusement park. I was a kid then, so I wasn’t able to understand his suffering and acted insensitively…and so, he decided to take his revenge, the mistreatment he’d suffered during life, all out on me.” He traced the scar. The pain had long since dulled and now I only felt a slight physical irritation.

“This gash was the result of his attack. I just laid there bleeding while he laughed in complete satisfaction at finally releasing his inhibitions and passing on the losing card to someone else. As for myself, I could only do what any child could…cry for help.” I explained. The others watched him intently.

“It was funny because that man’s laughter stopped after a few minutes and when I looked up  at him, all I could see was a horrified expression replacing what was formerly a victorious sneer. I must have been quite the sorry sight since he started muttering apologies after apologies after seeing me, and I mean  _really_  seeing me.” 

I chuckled

“But it would have been fine had things just ended there. What happened next was something I’ll never forget...fire.” Their eyes widened "His entire body burst into flames as I watched on. Did I feel relieved? No. That person was in greater pain than anything I had ever gone through, it was like watching someone struggle with being burned from the inside and clawing at their own skin. All of that made worse by his screams.”

I shivered at the memory. It was as vivid as ever.

“It wasn’t long before someone found me and called an ambulance."

I still remember that time. The fear, disgust and panic on their faces when they saw me. 

"Of course, nobody believed me when I told them the truth and presumed I was rationalizing the events based on shock and decided the case to be a random hit and run by some pervert….sound familiar?” Makoto referenced the excuse HPA had used to explain Natsumi's death to the student body.

Fuyuhiko didn't even hit him back this time.

“I never got over what I saw that day. Hell, I usually have nightmares about it almost every week, so I’m forced to take sleeping supplements…but you know what? In spite of all that, I have no doubt in my mind that the real victim was that ghost. He didn’t seem like a bad person at all...just someone who had been wronged too many times and wanted to lash out at someone. He got his wish…and then paid for it with even greater misfortune. I have seen many more like him who meet that end because they couldn’t let go of their hatred towards others.”

Makoto dusted his pants and stared the older boy right in the face, wearing an expression mirrored the one Pekoyama had shown moments earlier

“Revenge is a fool’s game, Fuyuhiko. Your sister would be too if she had chosen to end up like that despite my warnings. That’s why I won’t let anyone go on about a silly revenge-story in front of me. It helps nobody and hurts  _everybody_. And besides, we both know this isn’t about what  _you think_  Natsumi wants. Its all about you and your failure to save her. The living shouldn’t drag the dead into their problems.” And vice-versa

Makoto finished. Now it was all up to Kuzuryuu to make the right choice. If he chose to make the wrong one? Well, that just means I'll have to try harder.

“…Where is she?” The yakuza finally spoke.

“Gone.” Naegi replied.

"I see."  He flicked the knife away, eyes lingering on Naegi for a few moments before directing his attention to the memorial.

“Whenever I visit the room, the vase is always knocked down... always had to come here myself to clean it up whenever some assholes messed with it; it was never just one fucker either, it was pretty much the whole damn school so there was no point singling out just one." He placed his hands in his pocket and knelt down besides the ornament

"I haven't needed to do that recently, meaning either they stopped, or someone had been taken care of it in my place. I didn't think for a second it'd be the latter, Natsumi didn't have friends here so to make sure...I vandalized it myself yesterday.”

Makoto twitched and looked away awkwardly.

“Was that you?” Kuzuryuu asked.

Naegi nodded "I can’t stand that sort of thing so I’m always cleaning it up. Sorry if I stepped out of line. ”

Kuzuryuu stared at him for what seemed like an eternity...and then “Peko, we’re leaving.” 

Kirigiri stood aside from the door and waited for the gangster to pass.

“…Your injuries…” Did he want to apologize?

“Don’t worry. It was mostly my fault anyway.” Makoto conceded

The heir nodded and left. He must have wanted nothing to do with this place a second longer, not that he could blame him. Poor guy.

Pekoyama was next but unlike her master, she remained at the edge of the door, eyes trained at Makoto's scar.

“I believe I now have a better understanding of you, Makoto Naegi.” The bodyguard said.

“That’s all? You’re not even going to apologize for trying to kill him?” Ikusaba chastised.

Peko responded but her attention never left  Naegi.

“Still…Ikusaba’s timing was quite convenient. How did you find us?”

“Ishimaru put us on hall duty today since he had other plans.” Kirigiri added

“I see…how very lucky of you, Naegi.” She stared coldly at his wound. 

“I owe you a debt of gratitude that I probably cannot ever repay...and for that reason, I will not do something as irresponsible as apologize or accept your methods.” She gave him a knowing look.

“Still, thank you for freeing the young master of his burden.” Pekoyama said and followed her master.

Makoto let out a deep sigh of relief as the day finally ended.

“Thanks, guys. I’d be dead neat  right now if it wasn’t for you.” He looked to his friends.

“You have quite a lot of explaining to do but for now, you should probably get to the nurse’s office and think of an excuse for  _her_  first.” Kirigiri advised

“Hehehe, you’re right.” He found himself wobbling towards the door.

“Need some help?” Kirigiri offered.

“If you would.” Naegi accepted 

She nodded. “Go for it, Ikusaba-san.”

The freckled girl curled her arms over Naegi’s back and legs and brought him into a princess carry.

“Eh? Just acting as a crutch is (much less embarrassing) fine, there’s no need to-"

“This way is more efficient.” She said, already moving with him in her arms. 

_She wasn’t taking no for an answer…was she?_

Kirigiri stayed behind, watching the two leave and lost in her own thoughts. She ruminated over the events but to no avail. Even the ultimate detective couldn’t uncover every detail about a case she was barely involved in.

The detective sighed as she left after the others. 

...Regardless, the matter was settled, and nobody had gotten seriously hurt. She should count her blessings for a relatively peaceful resolution.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The En...


	11. Turn The (My) World Upside Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Regardless, the matter was settled and nobody had gotten seriously hurt. She should count her blessings for a relatively peaceful resolution.
> 
> ...Like hell. In fact, hell would freeze over before she skimmed over gross details and focused only on the results. That's Togami's flaw, not her own. The “conversation” between Kuzuryuu and Naegi had filled in most of the blanks but there were technical aspects that were…off to say the least. For example. Ghosts? Was there really such a thing? Naegi had sounded convincing but there’s a difference between a convincing argument and the truth.

_"We’ll make a deal using your belief in Fuyuhiko as the basis.”_

_“And the terms are?”_

_“...You believe that Fuyuhiko will dole out your revenge unabated by anything that I can throw t him. I’ll prove otherwise...but I only need one thing from you; Proof that I can see/speak with you and for that, I need information that only you two would know. At the very least, a secret that an ordinary person could never find out.”_

_“So you want a password…an in to prove you can see me. How do I know you won’t be using this against me?”_

_“That would defeat the point. Rather, I’m going to be telling him exactly what happened that day through your own words.  However, I’m also going to tell him what might happen to you if he does go through with revenge. There will be no lies here. If I'm right and your brother really cares about you, then he'll listen to me and vice versa. He’ll be the one to decide whether to believe me or whether revenge is all that matters.”_

_“You think he’s going to choose your side over mine? You’re dumber than I thought.”_

_“You’ve got that wrong, because I’m on your side too. We’re friends, Natsumi-san. I’ll always do what I think is best for them. You shouldn’t underestimate that kind of resolve…after all, that is what allowed Sato to kill you.”_

_“There's limits to how blunt a guy can be, there’s definitely something wrong with your brain to say that to the victim’s face…oh well, a herbivore like you couldn’t tell a lie to save your life anyway. Deal.”_

_“Then I’ll just wait around here till they show up. Feel free to watch.”_

_“If you piss bro off, you…might die you know. There’s still time to run away.”_

_“...Maybe. But that just goes to show how much faith I have that he won’t kill anyone.”_

_“Idiot. Don’t blame me when the worst happens. Dying and becoming like **this** …is torture.”_

_“So I've heard.”_

_-_ Peko Pekoyama _-_

Peko Pekoyama traversed an underground room beneath the statue of HPA's founder, Izuru Kamukura. This was the base of operations for the group She had deemed, The Ultimate Despair. The path on-wards was reminiscent of a dungeon from a dated video-game. No doubt intentionally...that woman was an eccentric to the core. One could never predict what She would take interest in next

Bleak this place may have been, for the first time, Pekoyama entertained the slightest semblance of content being here. Why? Because after today, she would never have to see these walls again.

The assassin made her way to the innermost depths of the basement, where large red doors awaited her.

She pushed them open to find...a courtroom.. What poor taste.

An even more disgusting sight was the figure sitting in the middle,  adorned in her usual extravagance and that nauseous black/red/white color scheme . Pekoyama's entrance had made enough of a ruckus for anyone in the room to have heard her...and yet She didn't even recognize the swordswoman's presence.

Junko Enoshima sat there one side of a small square table. The fashionista was entranced in a chessboard planted on the table's surface. Had she been playing with someone? Peko couldn't care less, she was here for one thing and one thing only. To ~~gladly~~ announce that the young master was withdrawing from her little circus show.

"Enoshima."

For the briefest of moments, pearl blue eyes changed trajectory from her chess pieces and met Pekoyama's red. As always, Enoshima's form was immaculate, not a single breath wasted in even the most trivial actions.

"Oh its you." She said, disinterest evident on her features.

"I am here to inform you of the young master's resignation."

"Hmm? So Fuyuhiko wants out huh?" Enoshima replied just before moving to the other side of the table, motioning her bishop to take down the pawn she had previously placed there.

Now what would her reaction be? Surely, Peko couldn't be expected to simply leave here with all that she knew. if nothing else she could just force her way out and the young master would bring the full might of the Kuzu-

"Oh, I see. you're free to go." ...Was not the reaction she anticipated

"Excuse me?"

"I said you can skiddadle, sheesh. Can't a pretty girl use her brains once in a while **without** being interrupted?" Enoshima said, flippantly.

Peko now understood that the Despair was...playing against herself...

"I never imagined someone as fickle as you would ever be interested in a game as intellectually intensive as chess." Peko said.

"Yeah? And I never imagined Fuyuhiko would ever break out of my brainwashing cuz it certainly couldn't be because of _you_ , you're useless! Upupupu." Enoshima mocked.

"..."

"Now who's the quiet one? I was just kidding...okay not really. But have a seat if you feel like you're up to playing me in a game."

"i'm afraid I must decline." She refused. "...If that will be all, I will take my leave." 

Pekoyama turned around and faced the door. Enoshima putting up no resistance? Was there some trick involved?

"Ah wait, just one thing." There it was.

"As I thought, you would never let betrayal go unpunished." Pekoyama countered, arms already at her blade. 

"...What did you think of Makoto Naegi?" The fashionista asked. The silver-haired girl's proclamation may as well have gone unheard.

"May I inquire as to why you'd be interested in Naegi?"

"Oh? Even though I've been gracious enough not to ask for the reasons of your boss' sudden secession? I think I've been quite accommodating today, don't you?"

Strangely so...

Still...her opinion of Makoto Naegi? What an absurd question to ask at this stage. It could all be summed in a single sentence.

 Pekoyama's attention was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the direction she was heading. Soon they were close enough to be identified.

"You are..." She began.

It was a man. Spiky-hair, a formal white uniform and black army boots. Most notable however, were his scarlet eyes that mirrored her own.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to see you, Comrade Pekoyama!" His voice bellowed as it always did. This was a place where she would never have expected to meet him however. Though it shouldn't have come as a surprise that Enoshima would have ensnared even him since they were in the same class.

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru..." It must have been quite titillating for the fashionista to have broken down who was meant to be a shiny beacon of justice in Hope's Peak.

 "Ugh, there goes my peace of mind." Enoshima droned "How's it hanging, Taka?"

"It has been hanging well, Enoshima-kun!" Ishimaru said, butchering the phrase.

"That detention group took me quite a while to supervise, though I'm not sure _why_ you requested I do so; is there something for us to gain from Makoto Naegi, Kyouko Kirigiri, Chihiro Fujisaki and your sister consorting with each other?"

"For fucks sake Taka, its the same reason I do _**everything**_...fuck it, I can put up with this for a few minutes." The Ultimate Despair cleared her throat and then..." It's 30% planning, 20% cuz I love you guys  and 50% for the orgasmic despair when I set you all up against each other in a bitchin' killing game. I've already got a simulation started up with those student council fucktards." A grotesque tongue showed as Enoshima took on her punk persona.

Pekoyama thought there was more to it than that. She ordered Ishimaru to....to-!?

The bodyguard made an uncharacteristic display of shock "You...how much of this did you plan?" Peko knew about Naegi's circumstances but if what Enoshima suggested held any truth...then she orchestrated it. 

"Hmm? You're going to have to e-l-a-b-o-r-a-t-e, Peko. I'm kinda using all my brainpower on this game, ya know." Enoshima moved the knight.

"Ikusaba wasn't the only one monitoring Naegi, Ishimaru was as well - no, from the sounds of it, Ikusaba wasn't aware of this so it's possible he was monitoring them _both_. That would mean there were no loopholes when keeping track of Naegi's movements." That would also mean Enoshima was perfectly aware of Naegi's attempt to convert her followers, namely themselves.

"Oh that. Still thinking a bit too small though." Enoshima sighed. "I suppose I might as well start from the beginning. Naegi was never the original target, the ones I wanted were Kuwata and Maizono and he somehow just happened to be best friends with both of them. I couldn't have cared less about some average talentless loser; he was just the pawn I wanted to brainwash and then use to throw the popular duo into despair. Shit, I'd have tossed his ass aside after I was done."

"However...the brainwashing failed. I thought it could have just been delayed. That's when Ishimaru proved useful. With that bullshit detention story, I could create a new environment and see just how his mindset would alter with exposure to familiar, yet so very unfamiliar faces. Chihiro and Kirigiri were chosen at the drop of a hat. Muku-nee was too because I wanted to screw with her _and_ her stupid little crush."

How depraved, Pekoyama thought.

"You and Fuyuhiko coming into the fold was an unexpected boon. My analysis had never even anticipated that... either way, that too was fortunate. Because I've seen now with my own eyes what Naegi is capable of."

In other words...

"You used us." Peko said.

The fahsionista shrugged

"Yeah so?  By the way, I could have stopped him at any time by sending Chisa or Sonia but that would ruin the experiment. Honestly, I had half-a-mind to...until Yasuke-chan sent me some...very...upu...i-interes...upupu..ting results-ahahahahaha!" She laughed. Her attention was no longer on the swordswoman but on some inside joke neither she nor Ishimaru (judging by his perplexed gaze) were aware of.

...Monster. The young master and herself had not escaped; they were let go as of a trade. She sacrificed her pawns for the sake of gaining something even more interesting. 

Peko grit her teeth.

Ishimaru looked between the both of them, confused as to the situation. 

...There was something she needed clarified.

"Ishimaru. Are you not ill?" 

"What ever do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"That is what you told Ikusaba and Kirigri, was it not? In order to get them to perform tasks you should have handled near the music room?"

"Ah that, Naegi-kun said I should put Ikusaba-kun and Kirigiri-kun on hall monitor duty...I'm not sure why though. Regardless, I _should_ have rejected him but the despair of abandoning my post and forcing it on my classmates was just too much to pass up!"

Peko wanted to laugh. Even a tool like herself should be permitted to find amusement in this bizarre comedy. it wasn't fair otherwise.

"Enoshima, perhaps I shall answer you after all..." Peko announced.

The despair returned her full focus to the swordswoman, anticipating her assessment on the ultimate lucky student. She would probably be disappointed, for Pekoyama's opinion of Naegi could be conveyed in a few words.

"Much like you...he is quite adept at lying."

With that, she left the courtroom.

Ikusaba... she claimed to have developed a will of her own and no longer acted as a tool. Peko wondered if that’s true...because from her perspective, Ikusaba had merely changed owners without knowing it.

However, Peko could not blame the ultimate soldier.

After all, even she had been fooled. To think she once believed that Naegi was someone she could let her guard down against... Enoshima was at least an evil that made its stance known.

However. his lie saved the young master, therefore, as far as Peko Pekoyama was concerned,  that evil was worth accepting.

 -Kyouko Kirigiri-

 Kyouko Kirigiri entered the laboratory where the ultimate neurologist, therapist and programmer’s team worked.  She had used the card Miaya Gekkogahara had ‘accidentally’ lost to gain access.  What she searched for was Gekkogahara’s section of the room and where her documents were located.

“Fortunately” she happened to find her drawer unlocked. Gekkogahara-san was, by law and by honor code, not allowed to divulge confidential information on her clients…but even she couldn’t help it if, by some chance a renegade deviant broke in and rummaged through her files…

Makoto Naegi, just who are you? He seemed to be capable of dragging everyone around him into his pace and made it all appear for altruistic purposes alone – people just weren’t built that way.

Her suspicions had first began on the first day of detention. Despite that innocent looking face, he had systematically singled out Fujisaki as the easiest target, and then somehow moved onto Ikusaba, next. Before long, they began to treat him like an addiction.

He was someone Kyouko absolutely could not allow herself to get close to…and yet, even  _she_ had difficulty pushing him away despite knowing.

Not to mention yesterday. Just when she arrived to see Ikusaba protecting him from Pekoyama. His expression was one she didn’t think that boyish face could pull off. Makoto Naegi loved to smile more than anyone she knew...but that time was…absolutely… _sinister_

Ah, here it was. The file Gekkogahara had told her about.

Document #11307 – Makoto Naegi. Patient at Jabberwock Psychiatric Hospital?

What?

She read through each sentence, paying utmost attention to the details laying within.

June 4th 2002

-Dr. Miaya Gekkogahara. Age 10.  Aspiring therapist whose talent has surpassed most psychiatric professionals at an impossibly young age and has a record of “curing” 23 patients all diagnosed with severe mental illnesses. This does not include her successes prior to any formal training and recognized status.

-Patient Makoto Naegi. Age 8.  Background suggests high Intelligence quotient, with enormous latent potential and developed maturity.  The patient has recently been diagnosed with psychosis – he claims to be able to see ghosts. Mental illness surfaced nearly a year ago at an amusement park where he found in hysterics, screaming he had been assaulted by the dead. The patient’s family sought a family therapist several months later  however, no success was achieved; the patient remains adamant about his beliefs and has recently developed symptoms of depression. It is imperative to handle the situation with (false) open-mindedness and genuine comfort.

“Hello, Naegi-kun. My name is Miaya Gekkogahara and I’ll be your caretaker from now on.”

“ Miaya…so you’re my new shrink, huh?” Patient is skeptical and brash.

“You called me by my given name. Is there a meaning behind that?” Does he disrespect authority?

“Is that wrong? Therapists always to get to know the patient to make work easy right? Talking this way helps makes us seem closer.  Well, I’m sure you’ve done a good check yourself but I’ll help with the charade anyway. Besides, it’s not like you’re an adult either. You’re a kid like I am so what makes you so special?”   Hatred for authority theory unlikely. Apathy is probable. Social instability, highly probable.

 “I see…then I’ll call you Makoto too. As for why I’m working with you, I’m something of a genius in this field and a prospect for being scouted by Hope’s Peak Academy down the line. Do you know what ultimates are, Makoto?”

“Yes. And if a kid like you can do this then I’m sure you’re really incredible...of course, I’m also certain that the fact that you’re closer to me in age will make you easier to relate with and give you a better chance of…curing me than the adults.” High I.Q, validated.

"Perhaps. Since you know all of that, I’m sure you know why you’re here.”

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me why?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Pointless. You already know and you don’t believe me anyway. Don’t patronize me.” First signs of hostility detected. Patient has developed severe trust issues regarding his illnesses.

“Fair enough but I thought you wanted to ‘help with the charade’?”

“Not that one.”

“Alright then. So Naegi, could you tell me exactly what led up to that day at the amusement park?”

“…I was separated from my family. I saw him. He attacked me. You know the rest.”

Patient# 11037 said nothing else.

June 11th 2002

“We meet again, Makoto.”

“Seems that way.”

“There’s something I want to ask you, if you’re fine with that. The man who tried to choke you, was he the only case in your experience?”

“Yes. Some of the ones I meet are nice, others are difficult…but none of them are bad people.” Patient struggles to call his hallucinations ‘ghosts’. May either indicate he’s slowly coming out of his delusions or he’s locking himself up inside his shell. Furthermore, seems to think positively of attacker.

“Some of these people may be dangerous and have even assaulted you...but you think they’re not malicious?”

“Just because someone hurts you, that doesn’t make them inherently cruel. There could be more to it than that.” Patient is emotionally attuned to the pain of others and makes rational decisions. Findings suggest at least partial sanity.

“I agree, let’s move onto the next question: Have you ever felt like you don’t get along with others?”

“I have… _had_ plenty of friends.” Background dictates he was extremely sociable and positive, family was also very supportive. It was unlikely that the patient was compensating for some sort of social stress.

“But Makoto, you’re very, very intelligent for your age. Did you ever feel that you couldn’t connect with other children on an intellectual level? And what about your grades? Did you feel pressured into succeeding?”

“...Sometimes, I've always been different and they just couldn't keep up...but I still liked them.  I liked scoring high, competition is fun.”

August  25th 2002

“Good afternoon, Makoto. What shall we talk about today, I wonder?” 

“You.”

“Excuse me?”

“It must be boring hearing about me all the time, and I’m definitely bored of talking about myself. Let’s talk about you for a change.” Patient showed a rare smile.

“I’m sorry but there’s nothing very interesting about me to share.”

“Unfair. I can’t be the  _only_  one sharing all my secrets. This should be a two-way partnership.”  He had a point.

“…I don’t even know where to start.”

“How about how you got this gig despite being such a reserved and shy person?”…What?

“What brought you to that conclusion?”

“You struggle…or should I say force yourself to maintain constant eye-contact and the same for raising your voice. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a lot better than the other shrinks. I’m sure you worked hard to get where you are…however, you’re not a natural speaker.”

…

“Come on now, don’t clam up. It’s not like I’m trying to show how annoying it is to be analyzed. That’s just 1/10th of the reason - - the other 9/10th is because I’m genuinely curious.”

She sighed at his provocations.

“…You’re correct. I’m reserved by nature and needed a lot of practice before I could speak to anyone. “

“So why’d you pick this job. You trying to conquer your fears?”

“No. I just think there’s something beautiful and fulfilling about helping others. Moreso, I can’t stand to see other people suffer if there’s something I can do about it. Why not put my talents to good use?”

For the first time the patient laughed “Finally, someone who gets it! I feel the same way. There are lots of people out there who could use our help.” …Our help?

“But I’m trapped in here and can’t do anything about it. I envy you quite a lot.”

“You want to help people, Makoto?”

“Yup. Everyone has problems they can’t solve by themselves and worse, there are some who think they can but really can’t. Those are the kinds of people I want to save, before it’s too late.”

“Too late?”

“Yeah, before they die and regret it after. By then, it’s just too late to save anyone.” Signs of mental instability…detected.

“I understand.”

“That’s why I want to leave here…when can I go home?” Not soon at this rate.

She said nothing

September 10th 2002

“I think that was the first time I ever felt enmity.” He began suddenly and without context, but it was her job to pick up on such cues

“Are you referring to your attacker?” She was _very_ good at her job.

“Yeah. Someone I didn’t even know wanted to hurt me, kill me. And when he realized he couldn’t, he was satisfied watching me shiver in fear.”  He said, despondently. This matched up with the reports she had received.

“ Afterwards, he followed me home.”...This, on the other hand, was new.  An opening to follow through presented itself

“Followed you home? This is the first I’m hearing of this.”

“I never told anyone else because I wanted to forget. I can’t forget and that’s why I need those pills.” Patient is likely referring to the Insomnia supplements that aid with night terrors.  An extreme medication that is meant to be taken in small doses. They can incur sleep within approximately 30 minutes using the right amount. Go further and one may stand for 3 minutes. Higher doses is deemed un-advisable and may cause irreparable brain damage. Even the prescribed dosage will have side-effects,  however the patient would never sleep without them, causing the worst case scenario.

“He couldn’t hurt me physically so he tried mentally. I couldn’t tune him out. Whenever I turned,  ** _he was always there._**  I was scared.”

“Did this happen while you had been receiving family therapy?”

“Yes.” Note to self. Hallucinations did not stop at any point.

“Do you still see him?”

“No. He’s gone.”

“Gone?”

“He caught fire. Watching that was what gave me nightmares.”  I tried to pursue this point however, the patient was adamant in not elaborating on what he meant by ‘caught fire.’

“I want to go home.” The patient said, it was a phrase that had become increasingly prominent throughout their sessions.

“I’m sorry but I’m not lying! Get me out of here already!” Anxiety levels rising

“Makoto, calm down. I know you’re not lying.” You’ve just caught a grave illness. And a very persistent one at that.

“You’re lying.” He began. “You could get me out of here. You just have to tell them I’m fine!” The patient began scratching furiously at his head

She pressed the emergency button and the restraints came not soon after.

“Let go! Get me out of here!” The patient was tranquilized

February 8th 2003

“Makoto, do you remember me?”

“…”

“I’m Miaya, remember?”

“…”

“You had quite an accident not long after our last session a while back, do you remember that?”

“…”

She sighed “Why go that far?”

“…”

“Makoto this is serious. Had the nurse found you even a few minutes later, you could have died. It took months for you to just regain consciousness.”

"..."

“Did you want to leave so badly, you’d try to kill yourself? I hope you realize you’ve now been filed under suicidal behavior. I won’t be able to convince them otherwise until you tell me what you were thinking.”

“…”

“Very well but could you answer one thing? Why did you choose that method?”

“…”

“Even if you wanted to escape so badly that you decided on suicide…why would you break your room mirror and mutilate your torso with the shards? You _must_ have been able to think of a less painful alternative.”

“…”

“That scar won’t heal. You were lucky enough that it didn’t reach your internal organs.”

"..."

“Makoto, you won’t be able to leave this place for a very long time now.”

“…”

“You’ve only succeeded in hurting yourself more. If you wanted to escape then you should have been more cooperative. At the very least, I could have gotten you conditional allowance outside within a few months.”

The patient twitched.

February 15th 2003

“Makoto, how are you feeling today?”

“…”

She had not expected to receive an answer. If the patient had been at a stable level when he was first admitted, he’d fallen to critical levels after the incident. She didn’t anticipate any positive response for weeks, possibly months. And none of it was looking good for her credibility. Some of her “colleagues” had gossiped that her magic was wearing off and that “the child was out of her depth after all”. Ridiculous, as if she cared one bit about that...is what she told herself, however the reality was that if she couldn't achieve success here, the future was looking bleak. She might even have her license revoked, and then what would she do?

“I’ve had better days…but not bad.”

…He spoke?

“R-Really? I’m happy to hear that.”

“Me too.”

Her game plan for the day had been thrown off. She had no idea how to approach the situation now besides engage in small-talk.

“Sorry, for causing you and everyone else so much trouble.” The patient apologized

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is but thanks for the consideration anyway.”

December 22nd 2003

Many sessions passed and the patient showed great improvement. He no longer spoke of seeing ghosts and his actions all appeared to be that of a sane man. Certainly, the psychiatric committee had been immensely pleased by her progress, as did the Naegi family who were grateful beyond compare.

“Gekkogahara-san.” He said. One thing she noted was that he finally started calling her by her last name. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing but, he had told her that it was time to show her the respect she deserved.

It was like he had become a completely different person in the process.  The air of intellectual maturity had diminished greatly over time as well. He was just like everyone else now. An ordinary, average boy.

A part of her believed she was happy for his progress but another felt greatly unsettled by it. Hadn’t it been too easy?

“Makoto, this may be our final session. Depending on how I think you’re faring, you’ll finally be able to go home and on Christmas.”

He gave a bright and confident smile. Was any of that real though?

There was only one way for her to check.

“Makoto, a long time ago you told me about your attacker and how he followed you home. What do you mean when you said he burned?” If he was truly cured then he should not have nearly as much difficulty answering her inquiry as he did before. However…

“Oh that. Well, from what I remember, he was messing with me and the next, he started burning. I wasn’t sure why but it wasn’t a pretty sight. It was the most horrifying scene I’d ever seen, even if it was all in my head.”

However, had he been too casual then it would have given him away. Traumas were not so easily forgotten. She had seen neither however; he showed the appropriate amount of hesitation and awkwardness, while still treating it as a footnote of the past.

By all accounts, his condition had been an astounding success…on the surface.

So why couldn’t she rid herself of doubt? Even though she (and the board)  had already made her decision before this last session even began .

She moved her wheel chair over to him and motioned for him to take her hand.

“Gekkogahara?” He did so and stood out of his seat.

Then they made their way over to the door. After that the halls. And finally, the main gate.

Naegi watched the gate with an awe-filled expression as it opened.

“Makoto, I have one final question before you can say goodbye to this place.”

“Go ahead.” All that lay before him…was outside.

“Do you think ghosts are real?”  **Are you really cured?**

He gave her the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course not.”

-"Makoto Naegi"-

We meet again, I introduced myself before but I think it’s only fair you get the full story right at the end. I am Makoto Naegi...and so is “he”. It doesn’t quite make sense when I put it that way, did it? But it was weird to me too at first. Seeing the dead was one thing but I never thought I’d develop a case of dissociative identity disorder too. Haha. Where to begin…I guess it was all Miaya’s fault in a way; she had given me the answer I needed to leave that hell. I was going about it all wrong, there was never any need for anyone to believe me and why should they when I had no evidence? I’d have to be crazy to have thought they’d buy it no questions asked…then again, maybe I am.

Anyway, what I should have done from the start was just give in and cooperate. Society likes it when the masses conform to their standards, realizing that sooner would have saved me quite a lot of grief and I’d have one less scar to worry about. How does the relate to “him”, you ask? That’s easy, it was at that point where I started suppressing my real self and my needs to match what other people wanted me to be. Everything was so much easier being an average person and all I had to do was put on a mask. However… Unfortunately  _he_  played the act far too well. Maybe it was because I was too young, too malleable but as a result, that mask ended becoming a very thin layer and seeped into my real face.

The fake began to mix in with the real and before I knew it, the blend had become nigh-homogeneous.

In that regard, it is not appropriate to say we are split personalities. It’s more like, we’re the same person but the difference is in our priorities.  When there’s something that needs an extra kick to take care of, that’s my role. Otherwise, “I” usually just hang back and let “him” take the wheel. There are quite a few benefits to being as relatable a person as he.

As a result, Mukuro and Chihiro were now his friends. Useful friends.

Chihiro especially had potential to counter the brainwashing video so he was worth keeping around.

It was also thanks to him that Makoto learned Miaya was in this school. When he and Yasuke mentioned her in detention, Naegi almost lost it in a fit of laughter. Luckily, Chihiro didn't suspect anything.

Now then…to business.

Makoto Naegi wandered through the halls of Hope’s Peak.  Bandages on his neck and beneath his green hoodie on one arm.

Yes this place was certainly Hope’s Peak Academy but I had never been here before, nor was I supposed to be.

In my hand was a file that I had finally managed to make clean and readable.

Yet another perk. It also helps that “he” doesn’t necessarily remember everything I do and locks it behind his subconscious as something that “had to be done”, was natural and did not need to be questioned. Was this a side-effect of Insomnia? Who knows but it sure was convenient. He couldn’t act out a lie to save our life.

As an example, the file I had…acquired from Yasuke’s desk.  While the neurologist was in the room, I moved over to read the files the senior had looked over so seriously. I had no idea whether I would find anything of worth but there was this gut feeling I would. After all, Yasuke was a very suspicious person.

And by chance, I found it - That special person’s bio. The one he was just going to meet.

I stumbled onto a problem though. There was too much text to read in such a short time  and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide it on me…that’s why I chose to hide it  _inside_  me.

By that, I mean I ate it and then had to throw it up later. He was never putting himself through that kind of pain again. It took forever to recover.

Now then. I input the next password and found it open. Just like with Yasuke’s drawer, I had a knack for breaking locks. Luck was good for something it seemed.

Of course, this also means all of my successes so far will inevitably end up slapping me in the face but luck isn’t something you can fight anyway.

I wonder if _he_ can understand that. Makoto thought as the final door opened, revealing a lone figure staring back at him from inside the room.

After all, he’s said to have all the talents in the world.

-???-

He stepped inside, eyes filled with transparent curiosity. How boring.

However, that he was here at all, was not quite as boring. Junko Enoshima had made her way here recently as well and more than likely through manipulating one of his teachers, who he doubted was even alive at this point.

_Survival rate: 0%_

As expected. Therefore who was this? A mere glance deduced he had neither physical capacity to break his way in here, nor the dexterity to orchestrate a successful measure against the codes.

If not skill…luck then.

Nagito Komaeda or Makoto Naegi. Judging by his good health, it is the latter.

Makoto Naegi…

_Claimed to be able to see the incorporeal and deemed insane._

_Correction. Perceiving the incorporeal is possible by tuning one’s brain frequency. It is an ability all children at early ages possess but lose as they age and neither retain memories or convey their findings. A convenient closed circuit…however, this one’s brain frequency did not develop._

_Chances of such an occurrence in the world population: 0.00001%_

_A factor of his luck perhaps?_

_Unknown to Hope’s Peak, he has developed dysfunctional personality disorder._

_Extremely manipulative on the level of Junko Enoshima_

_Hmm…_

“Y-You’re Kamukura…senpai aren’t you?”

He gave no response.

“No answer huh? Your files said you weren’t very responsive.”

Once again, no reply came.

“You’re kinda making things really awkward.”

“Be quiet, I have no intention of playing charades. State your business and by that, I refer to  **you**. Not that thin layer mask.”

“How awful, you could really hurt somebody’s feelings with words like that.”

“Humans do not continue to smile when faced with meaningful attacks to their person. Spare me the insincerities.” Izuru Kamukura demanded

“The same goes to you; I don’t appreciate you dissing that part of me. And you can’t really call it a mask when it’s practically become my face at this point. And I thought you of all people would understand.”

Temporary malfunction – emotions surging

He ignored it.

“ But none of that matters I suppose, since I’m the one who barged in here unannounced.”

The intruder approached him. He ahoge at a height where he could just barely maintain eye-level  despite Kamukura sitting on the bed.

He smiled and then slid his way past the Ultimate Hope. His target was…the bed as he plopped onto it behind Izuru, giggling as he did.

It was such a ridiculous maneuver, he didn’t even watch and kept his eyes peeled forward . His posture remained the same while his back was now turned to the lucky student lying closely behind on the bed.  

“This bed is pretty hard, Izuru. How do you get a good night’s sleep on it?”

“It is sufficient.”

“Eeeeh? No way, even my bed is comfier than this. Hey, let’s have a sleepover in my room some time!”

“‘Do you really believe that will work on me?”

“You need to specify which. I'm trying quite a few things right now.”

“Your tendency to call others by their given name for one,  is merely an attempt at positioning yourself in a closer position to your target. You worm your way into the lives of others and claim a seat of power in their hearts. By the time they realize what manner of human you are, it will already be too late and will consider you an inseparable part of their daily lives. Calling others informally is an important step in that process.”

“…And?” He wanted more. 

“You speak informally to everyone because you believe all humans are equal; A sentiment that held all to the same standard and treatment regardless of stature or race.”

“Yup, but what’s wrong with that? Equality means nobody should ever have to feel worse than anyone else. I think that belief is one of my more redeeming features.” He said, happily.

“A matter of perspective; reverse that line of thinking and you are admitting that you hold nobody in your life as special regardless of their effort, achievements…or even emotions towards you.”

Naegi frowned. “…No comment. Got anything else?”

“An extension of the first and that is proximity.  Physical closeness is just as, if not moreso, relevant than verbal.”

And yet, not even Junko Enoshima had dared to act so intimate with him. Naturally, that was because she knew the consequences of pushing him too far. Now then, does Makoto Naegi know it as well?

“Oh? And what exactly is the meaning behind me doing that?”

How insolent “Don’t ask questions to answers you know better than anyone else.  Your goal is ultimately to create a paradise for anyone you take interest in. Certainly, the uninformed may see it as unparalleled kindness but it is nothing that altruistic – it may have been at first but those days ended long ago when your emotional receptivity destroyed you. Now, you feed on the sensitivity and emotions of others, because you no longer have any yourself. Makoto Naegi, you are a parasite.” Indeed, there was no better description for the one behind him.

 “Hahahahaha. You get it, you really get it!” He laughed. “But you know. I prefer a symbiotic relationship than parasitic. It’s not like I’m being malicious.”

“Perhaps in your actions however your intentions are far from pure.”

‘To each their own. As for whether it’ll work on you… well, no point in trying to sneak attack someone who already knows you’re coming. Might as well take the front door.”

“An understandable but equally foolish decision. You would do better not ‘attacking’ at all.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Naegi shook his head  “It doesn’t matter whether you know about it. “

“You…know,  for quite some time, I stopped trying to hide who I am. Maybe I did in the past but I don’t have control of that now. Anyone who looks deeply enough will see right through me.  Heck, I told Sayaka outright and even though she didn’t take it so well, she stuck by me even when she knew there’d be nothing to gain from it. And even better is that this is HPA, I can cut loose just a little. Nobody there is ‘normal’ so to speak so I had more freedom to be myself.” Naegi said

“Sophism. A lie by omission is still a lie. You entrap them with words so they couldn't abandon you.”

“And so? What about that matters? When paradise is already in front of your eyes, who bothers to look further? Few people you know. I suspect Peko has almost figured me out but she won’t care in the end. Ah, Kyouko probably would but there aren’t many like her. She doesn’t care about the material, she just wants to  _know_ , even if she gains nothing from that knowledge. Kyouko is really exceptional.” He smiled, praising the meager detective.

How impudent “You presume to compare her to me?”

“Not quite. Kyouko  is exceptional but you are even more so. You already know everything and that’s why you can do nothing but gain....So why not make use of someone that can do nothing  but provide for you? Someone like me for example.”

“You believe you can give me whatever I am hypothetically searching for?” Kamukura narrowed his eyes

“Eh? I don’t know about that. I’m not such a great person who can guarantee anything but I’m willing to try my best. Sorry if that’s all I can offer.” "He" Scratched his head.

…He reverted. How tedious.

_Immediate assessment: Harmless_

“So make good use of me, Izuru because I intend to make good use of you.” The true persona returned.

The instigator changed positions, now sitting side-by-side with Kamukura at an uncomfortably close proximity. It was an almost comical scene where the less informed could misidentify the situation and believe the two to be a stoic and bubbly pair of friends.

“I could kill you for your arrogance and nobody would ever find out. You realize this, yes?” Izuru threatened.

"Heh, yes that's probably true. But In my opinion, Hajime Hinata could do that too."

It took a moment for the ultimate hope to respond

"What?" Error. To ask in of itself was a contradiction...because he knew everything.

"What's with the question? There wasn't anything ambiguous in that phrasing; both you and Hinata-san can kill me. Although Its a bit ironic that you're parading about something your former self could accomplish.  Do you even remember him? The 'talentless reserve course student' as he often called himself, who traded his dreams, finances and eventually his own identity, all for the sake of talent. Just so he could become _you_."

"It really such a pity that he'd already signed up for the hope cultivation plan before I could meet him. That way I would have been able to steer him off the wrong path - nothing good could have come from such little self-esteem...and perhaps nothing did in the end." He had the gall to feign disappointment and empathy.

Kamukura had a half a mind to snap his neck...but that would be admitting defeat and they both knew it.

"Do you believe I will rise to your provocations?" Izuru said.

"Fair enough, I admit that was spiteful of me; maybe I wanted to get you back for insulting us." 

"You are both one and the same."

The parasite shrugged in mocking

"More to the point, Izuru …if every human on this planet did _anything_ just because they were capable of it then we’d either be living on mars or the entire race would already be extinct. I could have been killed just yesterday by someone much less impressive than you in terms of potential. Don’t you see how hilarious that you, who the board tout as the zenith of mankind, would try to prove that to me by doing something anyone could?”

Incorrect. The technology for migrating to outer space colonies will not exist for over a century, even if humans worked to their maximum potential, it would still be quite a few years off. The latter case on the other hand, was for more likely.

That was semantics however for the transparent intention behind his words were that: the world would be a completely different place.

A fair notion.

“You get it right? Whether or not we’re capable of something means nothing if we don’t do it. A will always supersedes capability . You could have an engine that could power a city but it’s useless if nobody powers it on and uses it for that purpose.”

“Comparatively…”

“Willpower is greater than raw talent. Am I wrong? You could do anything in this world…but if left alone, would you?”

Insolent indeed.

“You would go this far to sate your incompleteness?” Kamukura inquired.

“Of course. There isn't a single feeling in this world that can compare to the exhilaration I feel watching others cling to hope and overcome adversity. To top it off, greater the hardships, the greater the elation.” He giggled.

“Yet again, you use sophistry to hide your true intentions- I'm beginning to wonder if you're even aware that you do it. Flip those words around and all you claim is that anything incapable of exuding what you define as hope and success, is worthless.”

“That’s awful, Kamukura-senpai. I don’t think anything is worthless, even if they can’t feel hope...They are simply worth  _less_  than those who do.”

“In the end, you’re nothing but a pervert; everything is merely for your own self-satisfaction.”

“Hehehe...who can say?”  He finally leapt off the bed, moving to the exit with his back facing Kamukura.

“Let’s meet again.”

“You really believe your luck will allow you to return here? Wrong, coincidence is called coincidence because it doesn't happen twice. When it does, we call it skill.”

“ Sure but I’m not counting on that . If my luck fails me then I’ll just _use_   skill. Overcoming all odds by sheer belief…that’s what it means to have hope.”

_Potential assessment: Extremely dangerous_

“Ah, what am I saying? There no need for me to lecture about hope to the one dubbed the _ultimate_ hope, is there?” He continued. "Izuru, I don’t need you to help me with anything if you don't want to. I just ask that you stay out of the way for now and I’ll take care of you later.”

“…You mean to deal with Enoshima first.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah, and it’d be a big help if you didn’t interfere with that. Although, you’re free to because I won’t force you or anyone to do anything.” Naegi said

The meaning was left unspoken but Izuru picked up on it regardless.

**It’s fine if you side against me, I’ll just deal with both of you at the same time**

_Verdict: Target to be eliminated at once_

From their respective positions, it would take no less than a second for Izuru to bridge the distance between where he sat to where the lucky student stood and end his fragile life.

It would only take one second, one blow.

And it would probably be the only act of kindness he would ever commit. For there was only one place his path will lead. The same destination Enoshima will inevitably meet, either by the hands of the victims she accosted…or her own.

“See you, Kamukura-senpai.” The calculating gaze in his eyes were gone and only the naïve Naegi remained.

…Verdict overruled.

                                                                                                      -Junko Enoshima-  

How boring. The game she'd spent hours playing had ended in a stalemate.

An utterly tedious, predictable stalemate. What more could one expect from a match against yourself? Identical abilities, Identical thought processes...identical moves...Sooo boring, and she doubted it would be any  more fun if she played against the others.

Nobody had what it took to match her, after all and Sonia was the only one who could put up a semblance of a challenge. God knows someone like Mikan might as well bend over and give up from the onset...

"Ain't that right, Mikan?" Junko brought her heel down on the 'person' she'd been using as a leg rest all afternoon. The ultimate nurse was _literally_ bent over and acting as her personal stool.

"O-Ow!" Mikan jolted...

"Isn't _what_ right, Junko? You just blurted that so suddenly."

"Blergh, how can you call yourself my soulmate when you can't even guess what I'm thinking!"

"F-Forgive me for not being psychic!" She begged.

"Yeah whatever. You know I'll always forgive you and take advantage of my generosity; god what a skank you are." She kicked the girl again.

Mikan yelped in response...even though she took pleasure in these beatings. Ugh, what a total bitch! It wasn't nearly as fun when they put up no resistance...not like Mikan was ever anything but easy to start with. That girl was broken loooong before Junko met her; Mikan's cheating mother abandoned her dad (the mom's a slut too, apple sure don't fall far from the tree) and her dad got into an accident at some amusement park and bit the big one. Needless to say, there were no barriers when Junko decided to put the moves on the Nurse.

Aaaah, but who cares about Mikan when there's bigger fish to fry!?...Oh right, _she_ did. That was the absolute truth for everyone she bothered converting to le despair. There was no fun in picking some generic loser to be a part of the team, they needed to have a special kind of potential in them. A potential for delicious despair, just waiting to be awakened. That way, they could experience the same joys Junko did. She especially wanted to share that unbridled bliss with the classmates she loved so dearly yet couldn't bring themselves to love each other. It pained her to see the  members of class 78 so estranged. in that regard, ishimaru had done well for her in bringing the 4 together.

The fact that there were so many candidates out there who just wasted their lives away without tasting the thrill of despair. If Junko had the opportunity, she would plunge the entire world into glorious despair; they wouldn't have to spend the rest of their lives being confined  and taken advantage of by rules. A world where everyone would live free and kill hard at their own choosing. That was her dream.

A dream that would soon become reality according to her calculations.

Her calculations were flawless 99% of the time...a few months ago, that statistic was a full-blown 100% until that walking error known as Makoto Naegi reared his head. Among her classmates, he was the one she didn't give a shit about; even Hifumi had a special talent and a special despair just waiting to be realized but him? An utter, mediocre _bore_.

So why then, was he alone able to stave off Mitarai's brainwashing? The technique usually required a bit of touching up prior however, that would necessitate Junko spending time with that loser Naegi and she just couldn't have that. Besides, just because the brainwashing was imperfect didn't mean it wouldn't work **at all.** Naegi should have still been  inclined to despair...and yet, all he did after watching the movie was critique it. 

It was the first time she had ever been so baffled. In a rage, she physically tossed him out of her room and the rest was history. Muku and Taka took care of everything else like I told them to. I didn't expect much from the "Herbivore experiment" as she called it however he'd shown progress and made lemmings of Fujisaki and perhaps even corrupted my dear older sister as well.

That much should only be expected of him.

After all. Just thinking about **that**  never failed to cause spams of hilarity in the ultimate despair. That referring to Yasuke's analysis.

Upon seeing that, everything made sense! Why the brainwashing failed and why he was able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time; Fuyuhiko and Peko became the test run to confirm. If he could take them away from her then that would serve as confirmation. It hurt to let go of pieces she worked so hard to obtain but what she'd traded them for had been worth so much more.

Junko would have felt bad if she killed them after they'd done a fantastic job.

Who would have thought that Makoto Naegi's brainwave frequency were on the same depth as my own?

Junko's fingers faintly grasped the Queen on her side of the chessboard as she eyed the enemy pieces; more specifically, its king.

The Ultimate despair knew exactly what path lied before her...

-Izuru Kamukura-

"This is not boring." He assessed the current state of affairs relating to the relevant individuals in the school...and found they were interesting.

Junko Enoshima...Makoto Naegi.

How ironic.

Enoshima wishes for despair to all yet in her twisted mind, despair is a form of salvation and infecting others with it is an expression of her affection. Naturally, most would believe she is malicious.

Makoto Naegi  desires salvation for all in it's proper form and is loved by the ignorant for it. In reality, his actions are purely selfish and he loves nary a single one, he  _cannot_ love anyone.Perhaps in that one regard, Makoto Naegi and Izuru Kamukura were similar.

Interesting...for the first time since he gained consciousness, he found something truly funny. Perhaps he can somewhat understand why irony is considered the best form of comedy by the masses

Now then, how shall he play this out to maximize the entertainment? Shall he side with Enoshima and observe the fate of the world she loves so much as it falls into despair? Or Makoto Naegi and observe what would become of him alone?

Kamukura's eyes widened a centimeter. An action irrelevant to an ordinary individual yet utterly absurd by his standards. He who possesses everything this world has to offer...and is restricted by them only now  _finally_ feels he has choices? Laughable.

He need not waste an iota of a second thinking of the optimal outcome. The best choice is obviously...

 -Kyouko Kirigiri-

And there it was...Kyouko knew now that her worst fears had been confirmed. Makoto Naegi was utterly, truly insane. 

Her thoughts moved to Fujisaki's near breakdown a few days back and Maizono's words (which she now realized was a warning) some time before that and suddenly everything made perfect sense.

The lilac-haired girl couldn't help but frown in disgust at the content within Gekkogahara's notes. Just listening to her depictions of Naegi's behavior made _her_ feel like the world had gone crazy. Kyouko had been praised as a genius at an early age but she still acted as a child would. Comparatively, the luckster sounded like some of the more hard-boiled criminals she'd gotten arrested. 

And it wasn't surprising. Whatever persona Naegi had borrowed now was toned down in contrast to the notes, however Kyouko could still see fragments of that in his character. More specifically, his tendency to be subtly manipulative and goal-oriented in near everything he did.

In some ways, Kyouko felt a pang of pity for the boy, who was clearly in need of severe mental rehabilitation for reasons out of his control.  But sympathy for individuals like this was also _dangerous_. As evidenced by the fact that what he told Kuzuryuu-kun was almost entirely fabricated - Naegi had mixed truths and lies in his argument and had made it sound _convincing to her._ This was the same person who, merely months ago couldn't even tell a proper lie in regards to another's whereabouts.

No, if she didn't treat him as the menace to society he was, then she would already have lost; Fujisaki was proof of that. 

In that event, Kyouko would direct her efforts to stopping him...and Enoshima, who she had noticed was involved in some very suspicious activities involving their upperclassmen and was now MIA.

The recent incidents may have hit close to home but for Kyouko, it was still just business as usual.  Whether they're a wolf in sheep's clothing or a sheep forced to become a wolf didn't matter, Kyouko wouldn't rest until she exposed the truth about them.

Because she was...

-Makoto Naegi-

Kamukura-senpai sure was scary. But he was right that Naegi was going to take care of Enoshima-san. She needed his help after all, even if she didn’t know it herself.

Mukuro will go a long way in helping achieve that goal, I’m sure.

Naegi chuckled at a memory. Sayaka said Mukuro might like me in a romantic way. He didn’t know how much of that he could trust but a part of him wished it wasn’t the case. Ikusaba was a really nice girl, cute too.

However, I have no interest in such things right now…still, if she did then that would make things easier for me in getting her on my side completely. She’ll probably realize eventually but for now, he could play the role of the boy she likes. When all is said and done, he doubted she would be all that sad or angry at him; after all, everything would have been to help her and Enoshima.

What more could she ask for?

Now there was probably someone who had every right to be furious with him beyond belief. I had taken her faith in me and stomped on it. She may not be human but that didn’t make her irrelevant. Makoto wasn’t the sort of individual who would run away from his responsibilities.

That’s why he stopped by the music room. 

He slid open the door.

“Hey Natsumi-san. I know you’re probably mad a-“

The good-spirited grin he'd worn the majority of the day faded like mist and was replaced with resignation and an odd sense of loss. In the room's center, were eerily familiar remnants of flame. Just the sight of it made Naegi sweat.

The ahoge scratched at his hair roughly and took deep breaths to calm down. 

Scanning the rest of the room, I found the memorial vandalized with crude paint-drawn gestures...again. I approached the item, put it back in place and cleaned it. The upkeep was inefficient with my body shivering and arms moving around dis-concertedly.

A single thought plagued him all the while.

 _She wasn't human_  

It's not like I did anything wrong. Nothing Makoto did could have saved Natsumi whereas he'd manage to save the older brother she loved so much.  If anything She should, _would_ thank him. Ghosts, not a single one of them have been saved by him. Each and every one of them would speak of happiness only in their past glories in life; all he could do was make them accept their circumstances - you couldn't call that happiness, it was a consolation at  best. What they wanted more than anything was a chance to live again, doesn't that mean they themselves thought the living were above them?

What was wrong with him following the mindset the apparitions all shared?

"I did nothing to be ashamed of - everything was for ~~myself~~ hope!" He said, not realizing that he had long finished removing the stains and was now causing scrapes of his own.

A broken smile made its way onto his features as he resolved himself.

Enoshima. Kamukura. And all the rest. I will... 

-Junko Enoshima/Izuru Kamukura/Kyouko Kirigiri/Makoto Naegi-

 

" I'll drown each and every one of them in despair, of course!" The Ultimate Despair swiped her black queen across the board as white chess pieces scattered into the air.

* * *

 

 "To play them both. That way, I will be entertained no matter the outcome." The Artificial Hope's stoic mask shattered...as did the door that confined him upon contact with a blow that would awe even Sakura Oogami. A sinister smirk crossed his lips as freedom in all it's abstract glory was merely a few steps away.

* * *

 

"I am the detective." The Ultimate Detective flicked a strand of hair and walked down the path she always chose - one barren of lies and revealed only the truth.

* * *

 

"I will save everyone, whether they like it or not." The Ultimate (Un)Lucky Student showed a broken smile as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Once opened, a spiral of white and black replaced his formerly plain white sclera, as if hope and despair had been crudely mixed together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. Or the beginning, I guess? Unfortunately, I have no plans of a sequel in the near future but who knows, miracles happen.
> 
> I think I gave a lot of hints to Naegi's mental state in the story and the penultimate reason for why the brainwashing never took effect was, as already stated, because the egg was already batshit crazy! He's just really, really good at hiding it for the people who don't actively try to see beyond what's on the surface, hence the fic's title is 'layers'. 
> 
> As for the distinction between 'He' and "I' or Naegi and "Naegi" respectively. I want to clarify that Naegi doesn't have a split-personality like Genocider and Fukawa; the difference between the two is authenticity. "Naegi" is the original personality who lied to himself and everyone to become somebody who could fit in. This was born of the trauma of being ostracized to an asylum because he acted differently than what was socially acceptable. As a result, canon, mediocre Naegi came to be. Though, this caused problems when "Naegi" lost sight of his real self and started mixing in what was real and pretend.
> 
> While there is overlap, what mainly triggers which behavior is dominant is based on priorities; casual socialization will usually be Naegi while goal-oriented conversations has "Naegi" in the driver's seat. 
> 
> And yes, I'm sure its pretty obvious by now but this is a low-key Despair!Naegi fic, with Naegi contrasting Komaeda (who is intended to be Despair Naegi anyway) on levels of awareness and goals. Komaeda rationalizes people as vessels for either talent/hope or mediocrity thus, everything he and everyone else does is for a greater good. Naegi just sees people as people and hope as something that facilitates their potential. The twist is that people/hope are all to fuel to cure his own emptiness and consequently, everything they do is ultimately for himself.
> 
> Komaeda isn't aware of his own manipulative tendencies because (presumably) of his disease and fails to successfully influence his peers. Naegi kinda doesn't have any of that and can think rationally, therefore he is effectively a more successful and socially competent Komaeda.
> 
> For everyone who stuck around this long, I hope this final chapter lived up to your expectations.


End file.
